Ariana Grande demands White House stop using her song ‘Bye’ in ICE arrest TikTok video

Ariana Grande has sharply objected to the White House’s use of one of her songs in a social media video promoting immigration enforcement. The video, posted on the official TikTok account earlier in the week, showed agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arresting and handcuffing people. The soundtrack was ‘Bye’, a track released by the singer in 2024.

Grande’s direct reply

On Thursday, Grande left a comment beneath the TikTok post, telling the administration never to associate her music with “this barbaric, inhumane and heinous nonsense.” A spokesperson for the singer confirmed to Variety that the comment was genuine, though for reasons that remain unclear it was not publicly visible on the platform. Grande later shared a screenshot from her own accounts to ensure the message stayed public.

“Please never use my music in connection with this barbaric, inhumane and heinous nonsense.”

The singer’s team also worked to have the audio stripped from the clip. Shortly after her protest, the song was deleted from the video.

White House pushes back

The administration replied within hours. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told media outlets that the real “barbaric, inhumane and heinous” acts were committed by “criminal illegal immigrants who have injured and killed innocent American citizens.” Jackson’s statement was reported by multiple outlets, including Variety.

“What is actually barbaric, inhumane and heinous are criminal illegal aliens who have injured and killed innocent American citizens.”

A recurring pattern

Grande’s objection is the latest in a long string of protests by musicians who have demanded that Donald Trump or his team stop using their songs. In 2024, Sabrina Carpenter objected when her track ‘Juno’ was used in a similar ICE‑themed video. Over the past several years, artists including the Rolling Stones, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Phil Collins, Guns N’ Roses, R.E.M., Céline Dion, Beyoncé, the White Stripes, Bad Bunny, Alphaville, ABBA and Kesha have all publicly distanced themselves from the president’s use of their music.

Past friction

Grande has a history of criticising Trump’s policies. In September 2025 she shared an Instagram post by activist Matt Bernstein that condemned ICE raids, transphobic policies and other measures. At that time, Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai shot back with a reference to her song title ‘Save Your Tears’, telling Grande to save her own.

The latest spat landed days after Trump signed a bill providing more than $70 billion in funding for immigration agencies over the remainder of his term, according to the Portuguese news agency Lusa.