US Homeland Security reports deepfake campaign by migration-policy opponents

Opponents of the US administration’s migration policy are producing AI-generated fake videos (deepfakes) to discredit law enforcement officers, the US Department of Homeland Security announced.

According to a post on the department’s X page, radicals opposing immigration and customs enforcement are “so desperate to demonise American law-enforcement agencies that they create AI-generated videos to incite hatred,” the statement said, commenting on a New York Post analysis of such clips.

Anti-ICE radicals are so desperate to demonize American law enforcement that they are creating AI videos to gin up hate.
 
The REALITY: these disgusting smears and lies are fueling the 1000% increase in assaults and nearly 8000% increase in death threats against our brave @ICEgov… https://t.co/NMyql4pbJ8

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) November 17, 2025

The DHS described the videos as “disgusting smears and lies,” adding that this content “is fueling the 1,000% increase in assaults and nearly 8,000% rise in death threats” against ICE officers, and warned that those spreading “this filth” must stop before they get someone killed.

The rise in deepfake videos targeting US immigration authorities comes amid an unprecedented political and social backlash against federal enforcement agencies, driven largely by polarisation over border policy and record-high numbers of attempted irregular crossings in recent years.

Analysts note that the increased visibility of ICE and CBP operations — including expanded detention, deportation flights and enforcement actions in U.S. cities — has fuelled anger among radical anti-immigration groups, making law-enforcement officers frequent targets of harassment and online disinformation campaigns.

The DHS has also warned that the mass availability of generative-AI tools has lowered the barrier for producing realistic deepfakes, enabling activists and extremist networks to fabricate abuses, impersonate officers or stage fake incidents as part of coordinated attempts to undermine trust in immigration institutions.

By Jeyhun Aghazada