The Pokemon Company Comments on Controversial White House ICE TikTok Video

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The Pokémon Company has addressed a video released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that used elements from the Pokémon anime. The video included the well-known theme song, “Gotta Catch ‘em All,” and imagery from the anime, shown alongside footage of ICE arrests.

This week, the Department of Homeland Security released a video on social media to highlight the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The video unexpectedly combined clips of ICE arrests with footage and music from the original *Pokemon* anime, including the famous “Gotta Catch ‘em All” theme song. To further the connection, the video presented arrested individuals as if they were *Pokemon* trading cards, listing their alleged crimes below their photos. Many *Pokemon* fans found the video deeply unsettling, as it juxtaposed the lighthearted series with images of law enforcement raids and people in handcuffs.

The Pokemon Company Confirms Controversial ICE Video Was Made Without Permission

Many *Pokémon* fans noticed the Department of Homeland Security used the anime’s music and footage without authorization, and quickly shared their concerns online. Some even asked Nintendo to sue the government for copyright infringement. It turns out their suspicions were right: The Pokémon Company confirmed to Eurogamer that they weren’t involved in making the Department of Homeland Security’s video and did not give permission for their content to be used.

We’ve seen a recent video from the Department of Homeland Security that features images and wording connected to Pokémon. We want to be clear that The Pokémon Company didn’t create this video, wasn’t involved in sharing it, and did not give permission to use our characters or branding.

As a huge Pokémon fan, I was pretty surprised to learn that the Department of Homeland Security used Pokémon characters, music, and imagery in a video without getting permission! It could have landed them in legal trouble. I was really curious to see if The Pokémon Company would actually sue, but they haven’t said anything publicly. Interestingly, their former head of legal, Don McGowan, recently told IGN that they probably won’t. He explained that The Pokémon Company generally avoids publicity, and some of their leaders are immigrants to the US. Plus, getting into a legal fight with the government could just cause even more drama, so they’re likely going to let it go.

Despite this, fans are still urging Nintendo and The Pokémon Company to take legal action against the Department of Homeland Security for clearly violating copyright laws. It’s unclear how this will play out, but this isn’t the first time the current administration has faced criticism from the gaming community. Recently, just two weeks ago, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, RFK Jr., suggested a connection between video games and gun violence – a claim that has been repeatedly proven false.

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2025-09-24 21:04