In an unconventional and starkly festive move, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has employed an AI-generated Father Christmas to deliver a blunt message to illegal immigrants. The video, which has rapidly gained attention online, urges individuals to ‘self-deport’ before the end of 2025 in exchange for a financial reward, or risk ending up on ‘Santa’s naughty list’.
A Tactical Santa Delivers a Stern Warning
The strange clip, shared by ICE on the social media platform X on December 22, reimagines the iconic figure of Christmas. This version of Santa Claus retains his traditional red suit and long white beard but is accessorised with menacing, tactical gear. He wears military-style fingerless gloves and a red bulletproof vest boldly marked with ‘ICE’ across the chest.
In the footage, the AI Santa is seen checking magazine pouches on his vest, flanked by other ICE agents preparing equipment in front of a large US flag. The narrative quickly escalates, showing this tactical Santa handcuffing a detainee under the flashing lights of police vehicles. The video then cuts to scenes of processing in custody and individuals boarding a plane labelled ‘ICE Air’, with Santa overseeing the proceedings with a clipboard.
The screen finally fades to black with a simple, ironic message: ‘Merry Christmas’.
The $3,000 Holiday ‘Incentive’ to Leave
Accompanying the video, ICE’s social media post stated: ‘AVOID ICE AIR AND SANTA’S NAUGHTY LIST! Self-deport today with the CBP Home app, earn $3,000 and spend Christmas at home with loved ones.’ The agency confirmed the holiday incentive is valid only through the end of 2025.
This campaign signifies a significant escalation in the Trump administration's immigration policy push. The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that the standard self-deportation stipend has been tripled to $3,000 specifically for this Christmas period. The offer includes a free flight to the migrant's home country for those who register to leave by December 31.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem reinforced the message with a stark ultimatum: ‘Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport. If they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them and they will never return.’
A Rebranded App and a Pattern of AI Messaging
Central to this initiative is the CBP Home app, a rebranded tool launched by the Trump administration in March. Interestingly, this app is a reconfigured version of the ‘CBP One’ application, which was utilised under the previous Biden administration to facilitate the legal entry of migrants into the United States. Its purpose has now been fundamentally reversed to streamline voluntary departures.
This is not the first instance of the US government deploying AI-generated content for political messaging. In February, President Donald Trump shared a controversial AI video that depicted Gaza as a peaceful tropical paradise, showing him with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Furthermore, in September, an AI-generated video of Trump promising Americans a ‘cure-all bed’ was posted and subsequently deleted from his social media account.
The ICE Santa video, achieving over 475,000 views within a short timeframe, highlights the increasingly digital and unorthodox methods being used to communicate hardline policy positions directly to the public and to migrant communities.
