ICE has been arresting people left and right. While there are indeed some individuals who are deserving of being arrested, let’s not deny the fact that ICE agents have also been kidnapping many good citizens who are simply trying to live their lives. Most of the time, these cases end with the person disappearing from America altogether. However, a few unlucky souls end up receiving the “special treatment” of being turned into propaganda material. Recently, a video shared on Reddit gained traction, where a man broke down a new post on Twitter/X showing the arrest of Diego Hernandez in San Diego, California.
Allegedly, Hernandez is an illegal alien from Mexico with multiple DUI convictions and repeated illegal entries into the United States. While this may seem like just another ordinary news report, one commentator insisted the post was actually a piece of propaganda spread by ICE.
He began by noting how Hernandez appeared unkempt and disheveled, suggesting this was a deliberate attempt to dehumanize him. He pointed out how ICE made sure the man was photographed with his shoes untied, his clothes wrinkled, and his overall appearance far from the clean-cut image often associated with a “typical” white male.
“All of that is to strip this person form their humanity and to make them look like savages that we need to civilize,” the man said. According to him, this type of portrayal would later be used to justify ripping people away from their families, locking them up, and even deporting them to countries they weren’t originally from.
The breakdown didn’t stop there. He also pointed out how Hernandez was shown being restrained by a female San Diego officer whose back was turned toward the camera. The man explained that height is often linked to masculinity, and the way the image was framed made Hernandez appear shorter than the officer.
He argued this was another tactic by ICE to frame Hernandez as small, weak, and foreign. In other words, an outsider who didn’t belong. He added that the woman’s back being turned, hiding her face and identity, was also significant. Not only did it erase her individuality, but by shifting focus onto her backside, the image risked objectifying women at the same time.
On Reddit, the majority of users agreed with the analysis, saying it was obvious propaganda designed to elevate ICE and their mission. “How to recognize propaganda” one redditor said. “Just calling fellow humans ‘illegal aliens’ is dehumanizing language in and of itself.” another user wrote.
