White House ICE video using Kacey Musgraves song muted on TikTok
The sound is gone from a White House TikTok video that paired Kacey Musgraves' music with footage of immigration deportations.
The clip, set to Musgraves' song "Mexico Honey", was muted two days after it was posted. As of 16 October 2026, it plays without audio and carries TikTok's notice that "this sound isn't available", according to Billboard.
The video promotes operations by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency responsible for detentions and removals. It shows men being handcuffed, detained and marched onto planes. On-screen text reads "Criminal illegals are going back home".
Its caption reads "Goin back smooth" followed by a waving hand emoji. The line refers to lyrics in "Mexico Honey". The post remains visible on the White House account, but without the track.
"Mexico Honey" is a 2026 song by Musgraves from her album Middle of Nowhere. It peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, the main US singles chart, in August. That position gave Musgraves her first solo top 40 hit.
Musgraves has previously commented publicly on immigration enforcement. In June 2025, she wrote on X: "If protesters can't wear masks ICE shouldn't be able to either."
Earlier this year, she also performed with musicians affected by detention. At album release shows in early May, she was joined by Antonio, Caleb and Joshua Gamez-Cuellar, who perform as the Mariachi Brothers.
The three brothers and their parents had been detained in Texas for nearly two weeks before their release in March. Musgraves brought them on stage shortly afterwards to play with her.
Neither the reason for the audio removal nor any request behind it has been confirmed in the published reporting. What is clear from the listing itself is simple. The pictures are still there. The song is not.
