‘Don’t use my song for ICE arrests’ — Ariana Grande to White House

Ariana Grande (American singer-songwriter and actress)

 Grammy-winning singer Ariana Grande has hit out at the White House for using her hit song “Bye” in a social media video promoting immigration arrests. She has demanded that her music not be linked to what she described as “barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense.”

The row kicked off after the White House recently shared a video across its social media channels showing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arresting individuals identified as alleged illegal migrants. The footage, which featured scenes of people being handcuffed, transported, and processed at detention centres, was set to a soundbite from Grande’s track Bye and captioned: “Bye-bye… President Trump has delivered the most secure border in history.”

Responding directly in the video’s comment section, Grande wrote, “Please do not use my music in relation to this barbaric, inhumane, heinous nonsense.” Although the comment was later deleted, her objection quickly caught the public's eye.

However, the White House brushed off the singer’s criticism. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the administration’s immigration policies, firing back: “What’s actually barbaric, inhumane, and heinous are the criminal illegal aliens who have injured and murdered innocent American citizens.”

Following Grande’s backlash, the White House muted the video’s audio, though the clip itself remains online.

Grande is the latest in a growing number of artists to publicly oppose the Trump administration using their music. In 2025, Sabrina Carpenter asked the White House to keep her work out of what she called the president’s “inhumane” agenda. Other major acts, including ABBA, Céline Dion, and Beyoncé, have previously raised similar objections.

The singer has long been a vocal critic of the administration. Last year, she questioned Trump’s supporters online, asking whether the president’s policies had actually improved their daily lives.