Halloween costumes are supposed to be fun, but one outfit spotted at a Pennsylvania thrift store has left people questioning what exactly they are looking at. A mannequin dressed as a sexualized U.S. Border Patrol agent, complete with a patch depicting a running family crossed out, has sparked criticism online.
The video was originally posted on TikTok by @everydayashleyy. It shows the outfit on display at a Goodwill store in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, operated by Goodwill of the Southern Alleghenies. The organization lists the store at 300 Jamesway Road on its official website.
The costume features a short, olive-green button-up dress with shiny black details on the collar and cuffs. A large gold badge on the chest reads “U.S. Border Patrol Agent.” But the detail drawing the most attention is the orange patch on the other side, marked “CAUTION” and featuring silhouettes of a running family crossed out with a diagonal line.
@LongTimeHistory shared the post on X and quoted the original poster as saying that “What’s even worse is they turned into a sexy outfit… absolutely gross.” However, the video alone does not establish who assembled the costume or whether the store intended the display to convey a political message.
Internet Reacts to Pennsylvania Goodwill Border Patrol Costume Display
The video sparked a wave of reactions in the comments, with viewers questioning both the costume’s message and the decision to display it. One commenter wrote, “This isn’t remotely funny.” Another said, “When I worked at goodwill we’d just throw *expletive* like this out.”
Others expressed concern about the imagery itself. One person wrote, “This is so disgusting. Terrifying people think it’s funny.” Another commented, “It really is that deep and it really is still going on.”
One commenter offered a more cautious interpretation of how the display might have happened, writing, “Not sure if this was handled and I’m not saying this is an excuse because management should know better BUT I know for a fact that there are individuals with autism who work at that specific goodwill every day and this could have just been an oversight.”
A final commenter took a sarcastic approach to the display’s historical imagery, writing, “Pennsylvania has ALOT of old history but I did NOT expect it to be on public display it should rather be donated to an historical museum.”
The patch is particularly loaded because it resembles a real California highway warning sign. Caltrans installed signs featuring a running family near San Diego freeways in the early 1990s to warn drivers about people crossing the road, including migrants attempting to enter the United States. The image later became a politically charged symbol used in different ways by people on both sides of the immigration debate.
On the costume, the crossed-out family appears to turn that warning image into a message of exclusion, which helps explain why viewers found the design offensive rather than amusing.
