Overview
- Rodrigo told Dazed on June 4 that she was “enraged” when she saw a Department of Homeland Security video posted on Nov. 4, 2025 that paired her song “All‑American Bitch” with images of ICE detentions and a caption urging people to self‑deport.
- She publicly commented on the DHS post last year telling the agency not to use her music to promote what she called “racist, hateful propaganda,” and in the new interview she repeated that the agency’s actions were “awful and barbaric and cruel.”
- The DHS video used the opening track from Rodrigo’s 2023 album Guts over footage of people of color being detained and directed viewers to the CBP Home app; reporting shows no announced removal of the video or legal action by Rodrigo so far.
- Other high‑profile musicians including Sabrina Carpenter and Kenny Loggins have also objected to the Trump White House or DHS using their songs without permission, framing the issue as one of ethical and reputational harm to artists.
- The episode raises questions about government practice and public messaging, and it could increase scrutiny of how federal agencies license or reuse cultural works and how artists push for controls over the use of their music.