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Rock Band Blasts White House For Using Hit In Viral Deportation Video

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Semisonic
Photo Credit: Andy Witchger, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

1990s alternative rock band Semisonic sounded off against the White House’s use of their hit song “Closing Time” in a widely shared video highlighting the administration’s immigration policies.

The video, which went viral on X, features footage of illegal immigrants in handcuffs being escorted onto planes, with the caption quoting a line from the song: “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”

In a statement provided to the Associated Press, the band made it clear that they were neither consulted nor granted permission for the use of their song.

“We did not authorize or condone the White House’s use of our song in any way,” the band stated. “And no, they didn’t ask.”

The band also took issue with the meaning behind the song being associated with immigration enforcement, saying, “The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely.”

During Monday’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt commented about the controversy surrounding the use of the song.

Leavitt defended both the video and the administration’s stance on immigration, stating, “I think the White House and our entire government clearly is leaning into the message of this president, and we are unafraid to double down and to take responsibility and ownership of the serious decisions that are being made.”

“The president was elected with an overwhelming mandate to launch the largest mass deportation campaign in American history, and that’s exactly what he is doing,” she continued.

“To this very day, we are now, I think 56 or seven days into the administration, by my count, the president still receives overwhelming public support for the policies that he is enacting, so we are unafraid to message effectively what the president is doing on a daily basis to make our communities safer.”

Leavitt also directly addressed the use of the Semisonic song, remarking, “The specific video you referenced—I think it sums up our immigration policy pretty well: ‘You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.’”

While the administration remains firm in its immigration enforcement efforts, Marvel actor Mark Ruffalo slammed the deportation of Lebanese Brown University professor and Rhode Island physician Dr. Rasha Alawieh.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleges that Alawieh attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a known terrorist figure.

Ruffalo took to social media, equating the deportation of Alawieh to an attack on civil liberties. “First they came for the liver specialist,” he posted, before urging his followers on Bluesky to contact their representatives.

“Call your representatives and ask them what they are doing to stop this lawlessness? How are they stopping Trump’s march to dictatorship? How are they going to make the President follow the law?” he wrote. “Demand they stand up for the legislative branch and the law.”

According to DHS, Alawieh, 34, admitted to federal agents that she supported Nasrallah and had attended his funeral in February.

“A visa is a privilege, not a right—glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be denied,” DHS stated in a post on X. “This is commonsense security.”

Nasrallah, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in July, was described by DHS as a “brutal terrorist” responsible for “killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade terror spree.”

Alawieh, a Lebanese citizen, was in the U.S. on an H-1B visa, which is granted to foreign professionals in specialized fields. Her visa had been issued on March 11, shortly before she traveled.

Upon returning to Boston Logan International Airport, Alawieh’s phone was searched, revealing images of both Nasrallah and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, CNN reported. Court documents show she admitted that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization but denied direct support.

When questioned about deleting the images before arrival, Alawieh reportedly told officers, “I did not want to give authorities the perception that she supports Hezbollah and the Ayatollah politically or militarily.”

However, when further pressed about Nasrallah, she reportedly defended him as a spiritual leader. “I think if you listen to one of his sermons, you would know what I mean,” Alawieh told federal agents.

“He is a religious, spiritual person. As I said, he has very high value. His teachings are about spirituality and morality.”

Meanwhile, in a separate high profile immigration case, a judge in Louisiana granted additional time for Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil to review his legal situation.

Khalil, a 30-year-old permanent U.S. resident married to an American citizen, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials on March 8 following his involvement in anti-Israel protests at Columbia University.

Authorities allege that Khalil has expressed support for Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group, though he has not been formally charged with any crimes.

At a recent hearing in immigration court, the judge determined that Khalil “deserves more time” to prepare his case and postponed further legal proceedings until April 8.

A DHS attorney objected to the delay, citing that Khalil remains in government custody on the taxpayers’ dime. However, Khalil’s defense argued, “These are serious charges, we need time to review.”

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