ICE uses Ferrell/Walker hit "American Dreaming" in propaganda video, draws immediate rebuke from Ferrell: Difference between revisions
Created page with "''This is a developing story and will be updated as details become available.'' ''12 November, 2026'' A social media account operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) posted an apparent recruitment video this evening which includes audio from the hit song "American Dreaming". Written by Sierra Ferrel and Melody Walker, both prominent critics of ICE, the award-winning song features lyrics comparing an emotionally tumultuous road trip with the loss o..." |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[File:Screenshot From 2026-11-12 19-49-08.png|thumb|right|150px|a still frame from an ICE propaganda video which used "American Dreaming" as a backing track]] | |||
''This is a developing story and will be updated as details become available.'' | ''This is a developing story and will be updated as details become available.'' | ||
| Line 6: | Line 8: | ||
===Video subject matter=== | ===Video subject matter=== | ||
The video, apparently attempting to leverage the song's topic, stiches together home movies, at least some of which are from a stock video clearninghouse, of road trips through the American Southwest, prominently showing Lariat Lodge on East Highway 66 in Gallup, New Mexico and Deluxe Motel at Big Rock Candy Mountain along U.S. Highway 89 in Sevier Canyon, Utah. It also includes footage of cars crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, and a brief shot of the disputed territory of the [[wikipedia:Black Hills|Black Hills]], which the United States Supreme Court ruled belonged to the [[wiki:Lakota people|Lakota people]] in 1980. | The video, apparently attempting to leverage the song's topic, stiches together home movies, at least some of which are from a stock video clearninghouse, of road trips through the American Southwest, prominently showing Lariat Lodge on East Highway 66 in Gallup, New Mexico and Deluxe Motel at Big Rock Candy Mountain along U.S. Highway 89 in Sevier Canyon, Utah. It also includes footage of cars crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, and a brief shot of the disputed territory of the [[wikipedia:Black Hills|Black Hills]], which the United States Supreme Court ruled belonged to the [[wiki:Lakota people|Lakota people]] in 1980. | ||
The video carries the facil caption, "The way it was. The way it can be again." | The video carries the facil caption, "The way it was. The way it can be again." | ||
[[File:Screenshot From 2026-11-12 20-36-48.png|thumb|100px|right|A frame from the video showing the added caption]] | |||
A PickiPedia editor reached out to Ferrell and Walker via social media account for comment. Ferrell responded immediately, saying "ice out!" but added that she was not ready to make a full statement, pending discussions with her team. Walker is [https://www.instagram.com/p/DfP0QVSxfin/ featured tonight] at Berklee School of Music's ''Roots Music Program'' and has not yet seen the message. | |||
===Previous Interactions Between ICE and 'Dreaming'=== | ===Previous Interactions Between ICE and 'Dreaming'=== | ||
| Line 24: | Line 27: | ||
* [https://www.pond5.com/artist/gcastfootage?ref=gcastfootage Stock Video cleaninghouse where some of the source videos are hosted] | * [https://www.pond5.com/artist/gcastfootage?ref=gcastfootage Stock Video cleaninghouse where some of the source videos are hosted] | ||
===Other frames from the video=== | |||
<gallery> | |||
File:Screenshot From 2026-11-12 19-46-32.png | |||
File:Screenshot From 2026-11-12 19-43-09.png | |||
File:Screenshot From 2026-11-12 19-40-52.png | |||
File:Screenshot From 2026-11-12 19-35-50.png | |||
File:Screenshot From 2026-11-12 19-34-48.png | |||
</gallery> | |||
Revision as of 02:40, 13 November 2026
This is a developing story and will be updated as details become available.
12 November, 2026
A social media account operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) posted an apparent recruitment video this evening which includes audio from the hit song "American Dreaming". Written by Sierra Ferrel and Melody Walker, both prominent critics of ICE, the award-winning song features lyrics comparing an emotionally tumultuous road trip with the loss of the American Dream, and has become a social and political anthem for fans.
Video subject matter
The video, apparently attempting to leverage the song's topic, stiches together home movies, at least some of which are from a stock video clearninghouse, of road trips through the American Southwest, prominently showing Lariat Lodge on East Highway 66 in Gallup, New Mexico and Deluxe Motel at Big Rock Candy Mountain along U.S. Highway 89 in Sevier Canyon, Utah. It also includes footage of cars crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, and a brief shot of the disputed territory of the Black Hills, which the United States Supreme Court ruled belonged to the Lakota people in 1980.
The video carries the facil caption, "The way it was. The way it can be again."
A PickiPedia editor reached out to Ferrell and Walker via social media account for comment. Ferrell responded immediately, saying "ice out!" but added that she was not ready to make a full statement, pending discussions with her team. Walker is featured tonight at Berklee School of Music's Roots Music Program and has not yet seen the message.
Previous Interactions Between ICE and 'Dreaming'
Walker and ICE have butted heads before, as Walker was the first Grammy-winning musician to call for an investigation into the murder of ALex Pretti, within hours of his death at the hands of ICE and other agents. Walker has also encouraged her fans to continually video-record ICE.
American Dreaming in particular has been a subject of conflict between Walker and ICE: on July 4, 2025, Walker revealed a previously unreleased verse to the song, referring to ICE as "trading humanity for a false sense of security" and making a call to "abolish borders and patrols".
Ferrell has also been more politically outspoken lately, in October calling into question the authoritarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic and calling for release of the Epstein files.
