Leave it to the federal government to trigger half the internet with a single Christmas themed video. On Friday night, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement dropped an AI generated clip showing Santa Claus doing something that made progressives clutch their pearls, deporting illegal immigrants.
Yes, really. In the video, Santa is decked out in the classic red suit, except this version is wearing a bulletproof vest labeled ICE. Instead of handing out toys, he is arresting and processing illegal aliens before loading them onto an ICE Air plane for deportation. The message was not exactly subtle. A caption warned viewers to “AVOID ICE AIR AND SANTA’S NAUGHTY LIST,” encouraging illegal migrants to self deport using the CBP Home app, earn $3,000, and spend Christmas at home with loved ones. The video wrapped up with a cheerful “Merry Christmas.”
Predictably, the reaction was instant and loud. According to New York Post, the clip was blasted out on X and immediately went viral. Some users loved it, with comments like “Deport them all, Santa.” Others tried to turn it into a philosophy seminar, asking whether Santa himself would be deported since he allegedly enters the U.S. without authorization. And of course, someone accused the government of waging a war on Christmas, because that accusation apparently has no off season.
The video ties directly into a policy announcement from Kristi Noem, who rolled out a $3,000 incentive for illegal migrants to voluntarily leave the country by December 31. The idea is simple. Pay people a fraction of the cost now, or pay a whole lot more later. CBS News reported that the average cost to arrest, detain, and remove an illegal immigrant is around $17,000. Suddenly that $3,000 offer starts to look like basic math instead of cruelty.
What really sent critics into orbit was not the policy, but the tone. Humor is not allowed when it comes to immigration, at least not if it comes from the enforcement side. Activists want the issue treated with endless solemnity, preferably while ignoring the financial and social costs dumped on taxpayers.
Here is the reality. Illegal immigration is expensive, chaotic, and unfair to citizens who follow the law. ICE used satire to push a message about voluntary compliance and saving taxpayer money. That does not make Santa evil. It makes the point memorable.
People can argue about whether the video was tasteful, but they cannot argue with the numbers. If a goofy AI Santa convinces even a fraction of illegal migrants to self deport, it saves money, reduces strain on the system, and enforces the law without force. If that lands someone on the naughty list of X activists, so be it. Sometimes the truth comes wrapped in a red suit and a bulletproof vest.
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