HER FIGHT SONG

ICE Barbie Soundtracks DHS Raid With Baffling Nirvana Remix

A video posted by the DHS secretary features a remix of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has set the footage of an ICE raid that wrongfully detained two American citizens to a Nirvana remix.

On Thursday morning, Noem posted a video showing an “Operation Midway Blitz” ICE raid that she attended outside of Chicago. The footage is of the same raid she posted about on Wednesday.

In her new video, the raid is set to a remix of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The Daily Beast confirmed that the artist behind that remix is Vegas-based producer Witchz. Noem captioned the video, “We will not back down.”

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Noem’s Nirvana-tracked raid occurred in Elgin, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, early Tuesday morning. It resulted in the arrest of four undocumented migrants and the wrongful detainment of two U.S. citizens, including 37-year-old Joe Botello, a U.S. citizen who was born in Texas.

Botello spoke about the experience to the Chicago Tribune and said he was not read his rights nor was he told why he was being arrested. ICE agents questioned him on why he spoke English so well.

“I’m just blessed that I’m still alive,” he said.

Botello and the other U.S. citizen at the raid were released after showing ID.

The DHS denied that they had made a mistake in their operation, telling the Beast that “They were briefly held for their and officers’ safety while the operation in the house was under way. This is standard protocol.”

Noem’s presence at the raid could end up landing her in court. Former Alabama U.S. attorney Joyce Vance wrote that her presence at the raid made her a witness, which means she could be subpoenaed in a potential lawsuit over the incident.

When reached for comment by the Daily Beast, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: “DHS will continue using every tool at its disposal to keep the American people informed as our agents work to Make America Safe Again.”

The Beast has also reached out to Witchz and BMG, which holds Nirvana’s licensing rights, for comment.

In Aug. 2024, Dave Grohl, the singer of Foo Fighters and the former drummer for Nirvana, slammed the Trump campaign for using the Foo Fighters song “Hero” at a campaign stop.

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