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last mo.

DHS Recruitment Tweet Accused of Antisemitic Dog Whistles

Critics have publicly condemned nostalgic Americana imagery paired with coded captions during a major ICE hiring surge.

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Two social media posts from the Department of Homeland Security appear to reference what some are calling neo-Nazi tropes (l-r): a reference to the antisemitic book "Which Way, Western Man?" and the use of a double-capitalized "HH" that is common online shorthand for "Heil Hitler." Both posts include nostalgic imagery. (Screenshots)
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Overview

  • The DHS X post captioned “Which way, American man?” is alleged to reference William Gayley Simpson’s 1978 antisemitic text Which Way, Western Man?
  • Civil-rights groups including the Anti-Defamation League and security analysts have condemned the tagline and prior nostalgic posts as white-supremacist dog whistles
  • DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin rejected these accusations as “tiresome,” saying the imagery depicts Uncle Sam pondering America’s direction
  • The post is the latest in a summer series of patriotic-style memes featuring manifest-destiny and small-town Americana visuals tied to a sweeping ICE recruitment campaign
  • DHS says its social-media effort has generated more than 100,000 ICE applications since its launch