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5d ago

White House Posts 'Deported Edition Labubu' Image Referencing ICE Arrest, Prompting Backlash

The meme-style image ties an ICE arrest to a viral collectible to extend the administration's pop-culture approach to official messaging.

The post left the internet wondering if the White Office account had been hacked.
“Deported Edition Labubu, Sexual Predator, Illegal Alien Arrested by ICE” read the title of the post, which displays the box in which the well-known Labubu dolls are packaged.
Image

Overview

  • The official X account shared a Labubu-themed image labeled “Deported Edition Labubu” with the caption “WTF. Maybe Labubus are demonic,” followed by a red devil emoji.
  • The post appeared to reference ICE New Orleans’ recent arrest of Cristian Soto-Galeano, a Guatemalan national with a prior conviction for indecent behaviour with a juvenile.
  • ICE said Soto-Galeano was taken into federal custody for deportation proceedings and previously posted a photo of him in shackles beside an officer.
  • The White House image appeared to reimagine that ICE photo as a collectible-style box with phrases including “Sexual Predator, Illegal Alien, Arrested by ICE” and a bold “Deported!” label.
  • The post drew sharp criticism and questions about whether the account was hacked, as well as some supportive comments, and news outlets reported no retraction or explanation from the White House.