Jess Glynne condemns White House for using Jet2 song in ICE deportation video: “Makes me sick”
English pop star Jess Glynne has condemned The White House for using her song, ‘Hold My Hand’, which features on a viral Jet 2 Holidays advert, in a new promotional video for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation scheme.
A video posted on the official X and Instagram accounts of The White House on July 29th, which has been viewed 5.8 million times as of writing on X alone, showed footage of a group of men boarding a deportation flight from the United States while the audio from the Jet 2 Holidays advert played.
It was posted alongside the caption: “When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 holiday to deportation. Nothing beats it!”.
In response, Glynne took to Instagram Stories to condemn the video, writing, “This post honestly makes me sick. My music is about love, unity and spreading positivity – never about division or hate.”
Additionally, Zoe Lister, who narrates the original Jet 2 Holidays, stated, “What can be done about White House using Jet2 sound and my voiceover to promote their nasty agenda?”
This summer, the Jet2 advert has become a viral craze on TikTok. It is often used as the background sound for unfortunate videos of holidays gone wrong, which comedically juxtaposes with the vacation described in the voiceover.
Last month, protesters took to the streets in Los Angeles to stand against the ongoing ICE deportations, which have skyrocketed since Donald Trump returned to power. In response to the protests, highways were blocked, tear gas was used, and the National Guard were deployed in an attempt to curb demonstrations against ICE.
Pop star Finneas took to Instagram to claim that he was one of the many to be tear-gassed, writing on Instagram, “Tear gassed almost immediately as the very peaceful protest downtown- they’re inciting this.”
According to Reuters, over 100,000 people were arrested by ICE from January 20th, the day Trump returned to the Oval Office, to the first week of June. As of June 15th, more than 56,000 people were in custody.
The policy has been widely condemned across the music industry, including by Glastonbury headliner Olivia Rodrigo, who said last month: “LA simply wouldn’t exist without immigrants. Treating hardworking community members with such little respect, empathy, and due process is awful. I stand with the beautiful, diverse community of Los Angeles and with immigrants all across America. I stand for our right to freedom of speech and freedom to protest.”
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