Published: 8:20pm, 26 Sep 2025Updated: 9:09pm, 26 Sep 2025
Japan’s wildly popular Pokémon franchise distanced itself on Friday from a recent viral US government video that linked the brand’s “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” slogan to Washington’s immigration crackdown.
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The US Department of Homeland Security posted a clip on social media this week that showed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid.
The clip showed armed police and border patrol officers handcuffing what it portrayed as illegal immigrants, with Pokémon’s famous English-language theme playing in the background.
Throughout the clip, images showed the main character Satoshi, known as Ash in North America, throwing “Poke Balls” – a tool used in the Pokémon series to catch and store wild monsters.
Nintendo’s Pokémon franchise denied any involvement in the making or posting of the video.
“We have never approved the use of intellectual property that we control,” the firm’s public relations office said in a statement.
US President Donald Trump’s administration launched “Operation Midway Blitz” this month, a new immigration enforcement operation in Chicago it said would target the “worst of the worst criminals”.