The Department of Homeland Security is scrambling to address intellectual property concerns after using unauthorized Pokémon content and comedian Theo Von's clips to promote ICE raids on social media. Both The Pokémon Company and Von have publicly objected to the usage, highlighting questions about government agencies' understanding of copyright law in the digital age.
The Department of Homeland Security just learned a hard lesson about intellectual property rights in the age of viral content. What started as an attempt to create engaging social media around deportation operations has turned into a copyright controversy that's got everyone from The Pokémon Company to comedian Theo Von pushing back against unauthorized use of their content. The trouble began Monday when DHS posted a montage of ICE raids to X, complete with the original Pokémon theme song and the caption "Gotta Catch 'Em All." The video featured anime imagery and text overlays mimicking the franchise's distinctive font - what one observer called "a sort of Temu version" of the official branding. A day later, the agency doubled down by posting another video featuring a viral clip of Theo Von saying "heard you got deported, dude… bye," paired with deportation statistics under the Trump administration. The backlash was swift and decisive. Von took to X with characteristic directness: "Yooo DHS i didnt approve to be used in this" he wrote. "I know you know my address so send a check. And please take this down and please keep me out of your 'banger' deportation videos." The comedian's response highlights a growing tension between content creators and government agencies that increasingly rely on memes and viral content for public messaging. The Pokémon Company issued a more measured but equally firm response. "Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property," the company told the Daily Beast. The statement represents a rare public objection from a company that typically handles IP disputes behind closed doors. Despite fan calls for legal action against DHS, former Pokémon Company legal chief Don McGowan told IGN that litigation is unlikely. "This will blow over in a couple of days and they'll be happy to let it," McGowan explained, suggesting the company prefers avoiding the political spotlight over pursuing copyright enforcement. The incident reveals how government agencies are navigating an increasingly complex digital landscape where viral content drives engagement but trademark and copyright laws still apply. While private companies routinely face legal consequences for unauthorized use of protected content, government agencies often operate in a legal gray area, especially when using content for what they consider public service messaging. DHS's response has been mixed. The agency quietly , suggesting sensitivity to the comedian's objections and perhaps his substantial fanbase. But the Pokémon content remains live, with Customs and Border Patrol even with a Detective Pikachu GIF captioned "Border Patrol's newest recruit." The controversy underscores broader questions about how government agencies should engage on social media platforms where memes and pop culture references dominate the conversation. While agencies want to connect with younger audiences through familiar cultural touchstones, they're discovering that copyright holders aren't necessarily willing participants in political messaging campaigns.