Grammy-winner Olivia Rodrigo said she was “enraged” to discover federal immigration authorities using her music in an online video prompting illegal immigrants to leave the country.
Speaking with “Dazed Magazine,” Rodrigo spoke about her public battle with the Department of Homeland Security and the moment she realized they used her song online.
“I was just scrolling on my phone. It was so deeply disturbing to see that propaganda,” Rodrigo said. “The fact it was my song in there made me feel even more enraged.”
The controversy stemmed from a November 2025 post encouraging illegal immigrants to self-deport from the country. It was posted by DHS and the White House using Rodrigo’s “All-american b—-” from her 2023 album, “GUTS,” in the background.
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Olivia Rodrigo performed during Lollapalooza at Grant Park on Aug. 1, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois. (Josh Brasted/FilmMagic)
The video was captioned: “LEAVE NOW and self-deport using the CBP Home app. If you don’t, you will face the consequences.” It also showed agents arresting illegal immigrants.
The former Disney star quickly took to Instagram to express her outrage at the time, writing, “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.” The song has since been removed from the post, which now notes the audio is no longer available.
Rodrigo doubled down on her criticism of ICE in her latest interview, describing the work of immigration enforcement as “barbaric.”
“What they’re doing is so awful and barbaric and cruel,” she said. “I am really sad to be in a country that thinks that’s OK.”
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Olivia Rodrigo performed during an exclusive Spotify Billions Club Live event on May 8, 2026, in Barcelona, Spain. (Xavi Torrent/Getty Images for Spotify)
A DHS spokesperson responded to the singer’s criticism in a statement to Digital, referencing Rodrigo’s lyrics. “America is grateful all the time for our federal law enforcement officers who keep us safe,” the spokesperson wrote. “We suggest Ms. Rodrigo thank them for their service, not belittle their sacrifice.”
The singer has been an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump and spoken about political issues, including abortion access and the conflict in Gaza. In the same interview, she noted she believes it is an artist’s job to share how they feel with the public.
“I think part of being an artist is sharing how you feel with other people,” she said. “I don’t have a political science degree, I’m not the most educated person on planet Earth, but I like to try and stay up to date on things and share how I feel.”
She is also not the only artist to push back on DHS’s use of their music in posts. In December, Sabrina Carpenter blasted the Trump administration for using her song “Juno” in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) video.
“Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” Carpenter wrote on X. The video showed what appeared to be ICE raids with Carpenter’s song over the top.
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A White House spokesperson responded to Carpenter, telling Digital, “Here’s a Short n’ Sweet message for Sabrina Carpenter: we won’t apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles from our country. Anyone who would defend these sick monsters must be stupid, or is it slow?”
