The White House has shared a 41-second video on social media depicting undocumented immigrants being shackled and escorted onto a deportation flight departing from Seattle.
The video, titled “ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight,” includes close-up shots of chains and cuffs on the tarmac, along with footage of detainees walking with their hands and ankles restrained.
ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight 🔊 pic.twitter.com/O6L1iYt9b4
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 18, 2025
One segment features an individual walking past an officer with their hands cuffed in front and ankles restrained by chains. Other shots include a close-up of a man’s handcuffs being tightened, another person’s feet in chains as they climb the stairway to the plane, and a detainee preparing to board. The faces of those being deported are deliberately obscured.
Since assuming office, President Donald Trump has escalated deportation efforts as part of his immigration policy. Thousands of undocumented immigrants have been deported, including over 300 Indian nationals.
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to stricter immigration enforcement, stating he will not rest until every “illegal criminal migrant” is “eradicated” from the country. He also claimed that illegal border crossings have decreased under Trump compared to previous years.
Reacting to the video, senior advisor to Trump, Elon Musk, expressed excitement with the words: “Haha wow.”