British rock band Radiohead on Friday called on ICE to “go away from us” after their song was used in a video memorializing victims of illegal immigration crimes.
Radiohead have issued a public statement to multiple media outlets condemning the use of their song “Let Down” in a pro-ICE video, one of several recent incidents in which artists have objected to their music being used in pro-ICE videos.
“We demand that the amateurs in charge of ICE’s social media accounts delete their accounts. This is not funny. This song means a lot to us and to others, and we can’t let this song be misappropriated without a fight. And go ahead, you too…Radiohead,” the band said, according to NBC News and other news outlets.
A video released by ICE showed portraits of numerous victims of alleged violence by illegal immigrants while the chorus of the song “Let Down” played.
“Thousands of American families have been torn apart by illegal violence perpetrated by aliens,” the agency tweeted in the video’s caption. “American citizens are being raped and murdered by people who have no right to be in our country. This is who we fight. This is our reason.”
DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Biss did not say whether the agency would honor the request to remove the video, but instead told news outlets such as Fox News Digital, “We are working with Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nangaray, Rachel Morin, Kate Abraham and countless other American victims of illegal alien crimes. Where is the compassion for the American mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters who were brutally raped and murdered by criminal illegal aliens?”
This is not the only incident in which Radiohead has objected to the use of a song in a political video.
In early February, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and director Paul Thomas Anderson demanded that a song they say was used without Greenwood’s permission be removed from the documentary Melania.
A statement from Greenwood’s representatives claimed that his song “Barbara Rose” was used in the film without consulting Greenwood.
“We have learned that music from ‘Phantom Thread’ is being used in the ‘Melania’ documentary,” a statement to Variety said.
“Although Jonny Greenwood does not own the copyright to the score, Universal did not consult Jonny about this third-party use, which was a violation of his composer agreement. As a result, Jonny and Paul Thomas Anderson requested that the song be removed from the documentary.”
Fox News Digital reached out to ICE and Radiohead but did not immediately receive a response.
