Swedish singer Zara Larsson has called out the White House for using her song ‘Midnight Sun’ in a video showing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation.
The short TikTok clip showed officers handcuffing alleged undocumented immigrants and loading some of them into vehicles. Larsson’s song played in the background.
The White House later removed the song from the video. Larsson then took to TikTok to condemn its use, describing the footage as “dehumanising”.
Larsson criticises ICE video
The singer shared part of the original clip while explaining why its use had upset her.
“I do not even know what to say. I saw some comments. I got tired of this, obviously. Some people are like, she is going to be pissed. I am just really sad,” she said.
Larsson said her “heart is heavy” and that she wished she could reach the person who assembled the video.
“I wish I could help you remember that you and I are not that different at all. We are not that different from the people in the video either,” she said.
She argued that the circumstances of a person’s birth often determine the privileges they receive.
The singer said many people do not have the same opportunities. Instead, they search for better lives for themselves and their children.
“I do not understand how it could be the worst thing in the world to be an undocumented immigrant,” she said.
‘These people are real’
Larsson also stressed that her criticism was not simply about politics or immigration policy.
“If you want to talk about politics and immigration, that is really not what this is. This video is so dehumanising. These people in this video are real people. The majority of undocumented people are regular people with jobs. They are just trying to have a better future,” she said.
The singer also questioned the decision to pair the footage with ‘Midnight Sun’.
“I do not understand why you would do this video. It is wild, especially with this song, which is about feeling connected to nature and feeling connected to the universe, to people, essentially. And this creates a massive divide for the people,” she added.
Larsson is not the first musician to object to the use of their music in content linked to US immigration enforcement.
In July, Ariana Grande warned the Donald Trump administration to stop using her music to promote its immigration policies.
Sabrina Carpenter also asked the White House in 2025 to exclude her and her work from what she called the president’s “inhumane” agenda.
ABBA, Céline Dion and Beyoncé have also previously objected to the use of their music.
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