Journalist Joy Reid is crying foul after the Department of Homeland Security used an allegedly altered social media sketch to seemingly make it look like a threat to federal immigration agents. The content creator whose footage was used is also speaking out and considering his legal options after DHS’ post allegedly sparked harassment and even death threats.
Source: Arturo Holmes / Getty
Homeland Security’s post issued a warning to the TikTok creator and others to “FAFO” or “f*** around and find out” if they planned on attacking law enforcement.
Viral Video Sparks Outrage
According to Baller Alert, the Department of Homeland Security’s official X account initially shared a clip of a Black man wearing a ski mask and standing in front of a group of young Black men.
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The background appears to show a basketball court with pavement markings and fencing. The caption on the DHS post read, “ICE we’re on the way. Word in the streets cartels put a $50K bounty on y’all.”
The alarming message spread quickly, leading viewers to believe the group was threatening Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, social media users later uncovered that the clip was not new and that its caption had been changed. Side-by-side comparisons revealed the DHS version appeared to be altered and AI-enhanced, and the unedited clip, filmed months earlier as part of a “U.S. vs. Iran” TikTok trend, contained no references to ICE or law enforcement.
In the original version, the background also appears to show a paved walkway with street lights and a city skyline—a completely different location from the basketball court shown in the alleged DHS edit.
The Creator Speaks Out
The man in the video has since been identified as TikTok user @mrfloridajhit, who says he had nothing to do with the caption DHS attached to the post. He told followers that his account was hacked and that he never uploaded or approved the version federal officials shared.
On Instagram, he wrote, “I did not post that video or the caption on that video. My account was hacked… I have no clue how they were able to get that video.”
Allegedly, the previous post was the one below.
The creator told followers that the other men in the clip were simply friends participating in a TikTok trend. None of them knew the footage would later be used out of context or paired with a false caption.
Joy Reid Speaks Out, Blasts DHS For Alleged AI Video
Joy-Ann Reid also called out the Department of Homeland Security for the post, describing it as an alarming example of how technology and anti-Black bias can intersect in dangerous ways.
“They essentially used this man’s video to create a fake threat against ICE from young Black men,” Reid said in a TikTok video. “They’ve weaponized antiblackness—they’ve weaponized a lie that these federal agents are being threatened and that there’s a bounty on their heads.”
Reid also pointed to the irony of the timing, noting that the Trump administration has faced widespread criticism for its handling of immigration raids and viral clips showing families detained or separated.
“These people are out of control, and yet they want you to believe that the real threat is young Black men,” she continued. “If your government can steal your content to weaponize a falsity against Americans, threatening their lives, what else could they do using your social media?”
Takeaway: Be Careful On the Internet
It is unnecessary for the government to use a video of young men to weaponize fear. Government platforms should be used to uplift and inform. ICE should be composed of trained individuals who act accordingly in person, not to an online video—unless addressing verified entities. The Trump administration already describes its tactics as “the Department of War.”
There are plenty of people who disagree with how ICE has handled recent matters, from Los Angeles to Chicago. Regardless, people have the right to free speech. That said, whoever is running the government account and engaging in fear-mongering should be fired or redirected, because leadership should do just that: lead.
In situations like these, all negativity does is add to the continued distrust in the current administration.
