[Global Network Reporter zhangqian] According to the US "Newsweek" report, the US Department of Homeland Security released a video titled "Catch Them All" on the social platform X on the 22nd, comparing the arrest of immigrants to the activity of "capturing Pokémon" in a series of animated works "Pokémon". It is understood that "Catch them all" is the English slogan of Pokémon and the original theme song of the first season of English animation. According to the report, this move by the Department of Homeland Security caused legal and ethical controversy.
Newsweek said the one-minute video combined law enforcement action pictures with the opening animation of The Dream of the Treasure, even used animated theme songs and similar fonts, and finally showed the large head photos of the detainees in the form of the Dream of the Treasure Card.
In response to the post, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency shared a photo of Pikachu with the inscription, “(This is) the latest member of the Border Patrol.”
Newsweek said that the Department of Homeland Security faced a strong online resistance for releasing this video, which involves both ethical issues and legal controversy. Some critics believe that the Department of Homeland Security's use of the slogan, theme song and unique visual style of game cards of Pokémon may constitute copyright infringement. Social media users question whether U.S. federal agencies can legally misappropriate popular entertainment brands for their own promotion.
A netizen @ Nintendo, the publishing company of Pokémon games, said, "Hey, do you agree that they use your IP to do this?" ↓
“Please tell me that my taxes were not used to hire graphic designers to work for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE)’s Treasure Coke theme.”
Aaron Rachelin-Melnik, senior researcher at the U.S. Immigration Commission, said: “In the first few seconds of the video, the exploded door shown by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security belongs to a house where several U.S. citizens live. They never saw the search warrant, but were handcuffed and brought from the broken door to a row of cameras.
Since taking office in January this year, Trump has pursued a tough policy of expelling illegal immigrants, including advocating that illegal immigrants who cannot be repatriated to their countries of origin should be sent to a third country for detention, triggering a series of legal proceedings and disputes.