Santa Claus handcuffs a migrant, processes one into jail, and tracks the boarding of a deportation flight in a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement video to promote self-reporting.
Many viewers who side with President Donald Trump’s crackdown applauded the video, which seems to be AI-generated, but wise men and others online chimed in about the sour note it struck.
Some complained the “evil,” “sick” and “racist” clip perverted the innocence of Christmas and Santa Claus while exposing the hypocrisy of conservatives who claim there’s a so-called war on Christmas.
“Jesus would have despised this,” one observer wrote. “Mocking and threatening immigrants using Santa Claus is the opposite of everything he stood for, compassion, mercy, and care for the vulnerable. Ending it with “Merry Christmas” doesn’t sanctify it. It exposes the hypocrisy.”
“Peak dystopia,” wrote another.
