Pokemon Distances Itself from US Immigration Video Using Its Slogan

TOKYO, Sept 26 (VoM): Japan’s beloved Pokémon franchise has firmly denied any involvement in a recent viral video released by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which used its famous slogan and characters in connection with an immigration crackdown.

The controversial video, posted on social media platform X earlier this week, depicted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid. It showed officers handcuffing individuals identified as undocumented immigrants while the English-language Pokémon theme song played in the background.

The clip also featured imagery of Ash Ketchum, the franchise’s iconic main character, throwing Poké Balls, a signature item used to catch and store creatures in the series.

In response, the Pokémon Company issued a statement stressing that it had not granted permission for such use of its intellectual property.

“We have never approved the use of intellectual property that we control,” the company’s public relations office told AFP.

The video was linked to “Operation Midway Blitz,” a new enforcement campaign launched this month in Chicago by the administration of US President Donald Trump, aimed at targeting what it described as “the worst of the worst criminals.”

Since its debut in 1996 as a Nintendo Game Boy role-playing title, Pokémon has grown into a global cultural phenomenon. Beyond its games, the franchise spans an animated TV series, blockbuster films, trading cards, and the hit mobile app Pokémon Go.

The use of its characters in a law enforcement campaign, however, marks the latest example of how pop culture icons are sometimes controversially co-opted into political messaging.