Journalist Joy Reid is crying foul after the Department of Homeland Security used an allegedly altered sketch on social media to make it appear to be a threat to federal immigration agents. The content creator whose footage was used is also speaking out and considering his legal options after DHS' post allegedly sparked harassment and even death threats.
Source: Arturo Holmes/Getty
The Homeland Security post issued a warning to the TikTok creator and others to “FAFO” or “f*** off and find out” if they planned to attack law enforcement.
Viral Video Sparks Outrage
According to Baller Alert, the Department of Homeland Security's official X account initially shared a clip of a Black man wearing a ski mask standing in front of a group of young Black men.
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The background appears to show a basketball court with pavement markings and fencing. The caption on the DHS post read, “ICE, we're on our way. Word on the streets cartels put a $50K bounty on y'all.
The alarming message spread quickly, leading viewers to believe the group was threatening Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, social media users later discovered that the clip was not new and that the title had been changed. Side-by-side comparisons revealed that the DHS version appeared to be altered and AI-enhanced, and the unedited clip, filmed months earlier as part of a “US vs. Iran” TikTok trend, contained no references to ICE or law enforcement.
In the original version, the background also appears to feature a paved walkway with street lights and a city skyline—a completely different location from the basketball court shown in the alleged DHS edit.
The Creator speaks out
The man in the video has since been identified as a TikTok user @mrfloridajhitwho says he had nothing to do with the DHS title at the post. He told followers that his account was hacked and that he never uploaded or approved the version federal officials shared.
On Instagram, he wrote, “I didn't post this video or the caption on that video. My account was hacked… I have no idea how they got this video.”
Presumably the previous post was the one below.
The creator told followers that the other men in the clip were just friends participating in a TikTok trend. None of them knew that the footage would later be used out of context or linked with a false title.
Joy Reid speaks out, blasts DHS for alleged AI video
Joy-Ann Reid also called out the Department of Homeland Security for the post, describing it as an alarming example of how technology and anti-Black prejudice can intersect in dangerous ways.
“They essentially used this man's video to make a false threat against ICE of young black men,” Reid said in a TikTok video. “They've weaponized anti-blackness — they've weaponized a lie that these federal agents are under threat and that there's a bounty on their heads.”
Reid also pointed to the irony of the timing, noting that the Trump administration has faced widespread criticism for its handling of immigration raids and viral clips showing families being detained or separated.
“These people are out of control, and yet they want you to believe that the real threat is young black men,” she continued. “If your government can steal your content to weaponize a falsehood against Americans, threatening their lives, what else can they do with your social media?”
Takeaway: Be careful on the Internet
There is no need for the government to use a video of young men to weaponize fear. Government platforms should be used to raise and inform. ICE should be composed of trained individuals who act on it in person, not after an online video – unless addressing verified entities. The Trump administration already describes its tactics as “the Department of War.”
There are plenty of people who disagree how ICE has handled recent casesfrom Los Angeles to Chicago. Regardless, people have the right to free speech. That said, whoever manages the government account and acts with fear should be fired or transferred, because leadership is supposed to do just that: lead.
In situations like this, all the negativity is attached to the ongoing distrust in the current administration.
