Amid fears and concerns over ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, people in the US are posting videos on social media with their passports strapped to their heads.
In the viral clips, content creators on social media have expressed that they are donning the documents in this manner to guarantee they possess evidence of their American citizenship before being requested to present it. “You cannot be too careful, you gotta move with purpose now,” one TikTok creator stated in a video.
Americans strap passports to their heads over ICE fears
According to DHS, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) mandates that aliens and non-citizens residing in the US must possess immigration documentation.
{{/usCountry}}According to DHS, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) mandates that aliens and non-citizens residing in the US must possess immigration documentation.
{{/usCountry}}While the trend commenced in December, several videos are now being disseminated online due to heightened tension following the tragic shootings of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis. Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, and Renee Good were shot dead within a span of less than three weeks.
As ICE persists in implementing the stringent immigration policies implemented during the Trump administration, social media users are consistently posting content that illustrates the effects of these operations on their lives.
TikTok creator @dotish001 posted a video that has garnered over 7 million views, showing him walking around with his passport affixed to his head. “Before you ask me, ‘Are you a citizen? Where’s your passport?’, you see my passport already. This is how we move around,” he stated in the video.
Similar video from @dotish001, who identifies as being from Nigeria and currently residing in Columbus, Ohio, has posted a similar video.
In another clip, the creator is featured inside a vehicle, with his driver's license affixed to his forehead. The video is titled “Excuse me Miss ICE,” and features the text overlay, “How green card holders navigate America.”
Anti-ICE protests surge in US
Widespread demonstrations have emerged in response to the fatalities, and growing concerns are being raised about ICE. In 2025, 32 people died while in ICE custody, making it the agency's deadliest year in the last two decades. Furthermore, there are escalating worries regarding ICE's practices, which encompass arrests conducted without due process, the detention of minors, and occurrences of racial profiling.