Critics slam White House for using a lighthearted Jet2 holiday meme in a video showing ICE deportation flights

[Miles Archer]

Jet2 holiday ad audio used in ICE deportation video
Critics slam White House for using a lighthearted Jet2 holiday meme in a video showing ICE deportation flights
By CK Smith
Weekend Editor
Published August 2, 2025 2:30PM (EDT)

https://www.salon.com/2025/08/02/jet2-holiday-ad-audio-used-in-ice-deportation-video/



The White House is facing backlash after posting a video of ICE deportation flights set to a viral Jet2 Holidays audio clip. The video, shared on the administration’s official social media accounts, shows handcuffed individuals being escorted onto a plane while a cheerful voiceover declares, “Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday,” set to singer Jess Glynne’s upbeat song “Hold My Hand.”

The caption read: “When ICE books you a one‑way Jet2 holiday to deportation. Nothing beats it!”

The clip uses audio from the original ad to showcase the European budget airlines deals. But the audio has become a popular meme on TikTok and Instagram, typically paired with vacation mishaps or comedic travel fails. But critics say pairing it with footage of deportations trivializes a serious and often traumatic process. Social media users across the political spectrum condemned the post as “tone‑deaf” and “dehumanizing.”

Jess Glynne, whose song was featured in the original Jet2 ad, took to her Instagram stories: “This post honestly makes me feel sick. My music is about love, unity and spreading positivity – never about division or hate.”