Zara Larsson criticizes White House for using song in ICE video

Swedish pop singer Zara Larsson has condemned the White House for using her song ‘Midnight Sun’ as a soundtrack for a TikTok video featuring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The video, captioned ‘never ending deportations’, used footage of law enforcement personnel detaining and handcuffing individuals to promote anti-immigration messaging.

Larsson responded via a TikTok video, describing the content as ‘dehumanising’ and expressing sadness over the association. She noted that the song is intended to celebrate connection with nature and humanity, rather than political division. Larsson also reflected on her own privilege, stating that her ability to travel and access education is a result of being born in Sweden, whereas the undocumented immigrants in the video are ‘regular people’ simply seeking better futures for their families.

The incident follows a pattern of tension between the Trump administration and various musical artists regarding the use of their intellectual property in political social media content. Other artists, including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Sabrina Carpenter, have previously opposed or seen their music removed from official government posts following similar disputes.