US President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown has been making headlines, with authorities deporting undocumented migrants to their home countries, including a number of Indian nationals. People from Pakistan, China, and other nations have also been among those sent back. However, the treatment of these deportees has sparked widespread criticism, with concerns raised about their dignity and human rights. Images of individuals being shackled and handcuffed during deportation flights have stirred discomfort. While US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have followed this practice since 2012 as part of their standard procedures, the debate has resurfaced following a controversial social media post by the White House. A video shared on its X account showed deportees in restraints, accompanied by the caption: “ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight.” Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) videos are those that trigger a tingling sensation, or "brain massage," that some people find relaxing. The videos are designed to stimulate the senses through sounds and visuals. The post quickly drew backlash, with critics calling it insensitive. The situation escalated when the co-chair of the department of government efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk, a vocal supporter of Trump, amplified the controversy by reposting the video with a comment: “Haha wow.” Haha wow 🧌🏅 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 18, 2025 SpaceX founder drew massive ire from netizens, and several users commented on his X post. One user wrote, “These are criminal illegals? otherwise this is not funny.” Another user quoted John F Kennedy in the comments, writing, “'Immigration policy should be generous; it should be fair; it should be flexible. With such a policy we can turn to the world, and to our own past, with clean hands and a clear conscience,' John F Kennedy, 1958.” A third person wrote, “I understand what the US is doing rn But this is not amusing at all and this doesn’t require a gold medal or ASMR. End of the day, they are just people. What might be illegal today, might become legal tomorrow.” A fourth individual said, “Why do you find this funny? Humans in chains is funny to you? I thought you called yourself a Christian? I must have heard that wrong, because Christ would not laugh about humans in chains.” S Jaishankar, India’s external affairs minister, weighed in on the issue acknowledging the concerns, but clarifying that the use of restraints is part of the US authorities' "standard operating procedure (SoP)." He stressed that the real focus should be on tackling the "strong crackdown" on illegal migration networks.
