The band demands DHS remove “Let Down” from a pro-ICE video, joining other artists pushing back against use of their music.
Radiohead is the latest major act to publicly object to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security using one of its songs in an immigration enforcement video — and the band did not mince words.
A choral version of “Let Down” was used as the soundtrack to a video posted on ICE social media accounts. The clip features a montage of crime victims and includes text blaming “criminal illegal alien violence” for rapes and murders of U.S. citizens.
The post describes the agency’s mission as protecting American families harmed by people “who have no right to be in our country.”
The band says the music was used without permission.
In a joint statement, Radiohead demanded that the “amateurs in control of the ICE social media account” remove the video. “It ain’t funny, this song means a lot to us and other people, and you don’t get to appropriate it without a fight,” the group wrote, ending the message with an explicit rebuke directed at the agency.
A spokesperson added that “it goes without saying it was without the band’s permission.”
The dispute highlights a broader issue artists have faced in recent years: government agencies and political groups using songs in videos or at events without consulting the musicians.
While music can sometimes be legally licensed without direct artist approval, performers often push back when they feel their work is being tied to messages they strongly oppose.
Radiohead’s reaction follows similar complaints from other pop stars. In November, Olivia Rodrigo criticized DHS after her song “All American Bitch” appeared in a video showing agents chasing and detaining immigrants.
She wrote on social media, “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda.”
Sabrina Carpenter also spoke out when her song “Juno” was paired with footage of arrests. She called the video “evil and disgusting” and asked the agency not to involve her music again.
Later, ICE used a parody clip referencing her in another post, adding to the controversy.
This is not the first recent dispute involving Radiohead’s music. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood and director Paul Thomas Anderson previously asked that a piece of Greenwood’s score from “Phantom Thread” be removed from the documentary “Melania.”
The film’s producer has said the music was properly licensed and will remain.
For Radiohead, though, the issue with “Let Down” appears less about contracts and more about meaning.
The band made clear that, legal or not, they believe their song should not be used to support a message they reject.
