US rock band Semisonic has criticized the White House for using their song Closing Time in a social media post featuring a shackled deportee.
The video was shared by the Trump administration on Monday, following the controversial deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members to a supermax prison in El Salvador.
The video, which showed deportees boarding a plane, was accompanied by the song’s lyrics: “You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here.”
In response, Semisonic stated: “We did not authorize or condone the White House’s use of our song. The song is about joy, possibilities, and hope, and they have missed the point entirely.”
When questioned about the video, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said “our entire government clearly is leaning into the message of this president.”
US District Judge James E Boasberg had issued an order temporarily blocking the deportations on Saturday, but lawyers informed him that there were already two planes with immigrants in the air, one bound for El Salvador and the other for Honduras.
Ms. Leavitt stated that the over 200 deported individuals were members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, which originated in a lawless prison in Venezuela.
Before the deportations, Jorge Rodriguez, the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, claimed that those deported were denied due process.
During a press conference on Monday, Mr. Rodriguez argued that the individuals deported had not committed any crimes in the US or El Salvador, and that Venezuela would work to repatriate them.
It was revealed on Monday that the US Justice Department is seeking to have Mr. Boasberg removed as the judge overseeing the Venezuelan deportation case.
The request to remove Mr. Boasberg came just before a hearing in his Washington courtroom began on Monday evening.
Semisonic performing in 1998. Pic: AP
Band join exclusive club
Semisonic joins a long list of performers who have objected to Donald Trump using their songs, including Abba, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Neil Young, Eddy Grant, Panic! at the Disco, R.E.M., Guns N’ Roses, Celine Dion, Beyonce, and Adele.
Closing Time is from the band’s 1998 album Feeling Strangely Fine, which reached number 43 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
The song peaked at number four on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart and received a Grammy nomination for best rock song.