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A U.S. Border Patrol video, featuring deeply offensive antisemitic lyrics, garnered significant public scrutiny this week after being discovered on official Facebook and Instagram channels. The brief clip, which contained the phrases “Jew me” and “kike me,” was swiftly removed from both platforms on Wednesday morning. It remains unclear whether Border Patrol or Meta initiated the takedown.
The 13-second video, believed to have been uploaded to Instagram in August, achieved broader visibility when it was pinned prominently within the official Border Patrol Reels section. Despite its earlier posting, the content only exploded into widespread public awareness late Tuesday on X (formerly Twitter), where some far-right users seemingly celebrated its implied message. At the height of its virality, the Instagram video had amassed 3.4 million views.
The Controversial Soundtrack
The audio accompanying the Border Patrol footage was extracted from Michael Jackson’s 1995 song, “They Don’t Care About Us.” This track famously includes the lines, “Jew me, sue me, everybody do me/ Kick me, kike me, don’t you black or white me.”
Upon its original release, the song faced intense criticism for its perceived antisemitic undertones. Jackson, who passed away in 2009, defended his lyrical choices, asserting no intent to cause offense. He later issued an apology and released an edited version of the song.
Visuals and Intent
The Border Patrol video commenced with a shot of someone adjusting a bodycam, transitioning to scenes of agents patrolling with firearms. Other segments depicted a truck transporting Border Patrol dune buggies and a dune buggy kicking up dust in a desert environment. Given the video’s brevity, the deliberate selection of the contentious audio appears to have been central to its message, ensuring viewers would clearly register the antisemitic content.
When questioned, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initially offered no comment. However, a spokesperson later provided an update: “We deleted the post and will update with different music. End of story. Now focus on the violent criminal illegal aliens.”
Public Reaction and Broader Context
The video’s comments section on Instagram revealed that many users recognized the antisemitic implications. One commenter wrote, “based song choice,” a remark that was notably liked by the official Border Patrol account. Another stated, “if you know you know,” reinforcing the idea of an underlying message.
Reactions on X were even more explicit, with some far-right users making direct references to the Holocaust. Comments like, “This deserves 6 million likes and shares,” highlighted the alarming extremist interpretation. Others on X expressed surprise at how openly far-right and antisemitic ideas were surfacing in mainstream channels, perceiving it as a significant shift from their previously underground status.
This normalization, while startling to some, aligns with a discernible trend observed since a second term for President Donald Trump. Prominent figures like Elon Musk and Steve Bannon have engaged in gestures or rhetoric widely interpreted as sympathetic to far-right ideologies. Trump himself has faced accusations of antisemitism for statements, including his use of the term “shylock” at a rally.
A Pattern of Controversial Messaging
The U.S. Border Patrol, operating under the Department of Homeland Security, has a documented history of posting content interpreted as far-right extremist since the Trump administration. Recently, DHS posted the single word “Remigrate”—a term popular among Europe’s far-right, associated with ethnic cleansing through deportation of non-white individuals. Another DHS video featured the phrase “Save America” in a typeface reminiscent of Nazi-era imagery.
DHS has also been noted for frequently using copyrighted material without permission in its propaganda, leading to content removal from major social media platforms. Critics argue that these actions often go beyond “trolling,” constituting a serious pattern of behavior from an agency with significant power over individuals’ lives, including reports of agents harassing and arresting people based on their perceived ethnicity.
Irony and Political Landscape
Ironically, DHS announced in April that it would screen foreign nationals for “antisemitism” on social media, a measure that critics argue was aimed at silencing opposition to the war in Gaza by falsely equating it with antisemitism. This aligns with broader concerns about antisemitism within the modern Republican Party, exemplified by leaked texts from Young Republicans containing overtly hateful messages, which Vice President JD Vance reportedly dismissed as “pearl-clutching.”
In response to these developments, Americans opposing Trump’s perceived “fascist takeover” are organizing nationwide “No Kings” protests for Saturday, October 18. Despite attempts by some Republicans, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, to mischaracterize these demonstrations as “hate marches” filled with “Hamas supporters,” organizers anticipate a diverse turnout of citizens exercising their right to protest.
