NFL Asks DHS to Remove Dawkins Video from Immigration Post
The NFL asked the Department of Homeland Security on Monday to take down a social media video featuring Hall of Fame safety Brian Dawkins. DHS posted the video Sunday night alongside a caption referencing a reported migrant caravan approaching the U.S.-Mexico border.
- DHS captioned the Dawkins video 'Our time has come' and posted a second image reading 'The Border Is Closed.'
- 16 NFL seasons: Dawkins played for the Eagles and Denver Broncos before retiring in 2011.
- 9 Pro Bowl selections and 5 All-Pro honors mark Dawkins' career; he entered the Hall of Fame in 2018.
- DHS did not address whether it contacted Dawkins, the Eagles, or the NFL before posting.
Why it matters: Professional sports leagues broadly require written consent before their footage is used publicly. The NFL's request signals a potential intellectual property dispute with a federal agency.
- This is not the first instance of the administration using sports footage without disclosed permission.
How 11 sources split on this story
Where they split: Whether DHS had any right to use the footage — and whether it will comply with the NFL's removal request — remains unresolved.
Center coverage, 5 sources: The center covers it as a factual dispute over consent and IP, noting fan backlash and the NFL's formal removal request without editorializing on the underlying policy.
USA Today3hWho is Brian Dawkins? DHS posts Philadelphia Eagles edits
Associated Press2hNFL asks Homeland Security to take down video of Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins
Forbes2hNFL Asks Trump Administration To Remove Video Featuring Eagles Legend Brian DawkinsWPWPXI Pittsburgh2hNFL asks Homeland Security to take down video of Hall of Famer Brian DawkinsLeft coverage, 3 sources: The left frames the post as an unauthorized political appropriation of a Black athlete's image to promote immigration enforcement, emphasizing the NFL's pushback.
Right coverage, 3 sources: The right presents the episode as part of a broader pattern of the administration using pop-culture imagery for political messaging, treating fan anger as a reaction story rather than a policy critique.
Daily Mail6hNFL fans fume at Trump as Homeland Security use Hall of Famer's highlight reel to promote controversial border control measures
BizPac Review1hNFL tells Texans star: Remove pro-Palestinian message or you’re out of the game
Fox News3hLefties lose their minds over White House's Brian Dawkins hype video as migrants surge towards USWhat’s next: The NFL's removal request was pending a DHS response as of Monday afternoon.
- Neither Dawkins nor the Eagles had issued a public statement by Monday afternoon.
- Did DHS obtain any form of permission from the NFL, the Eagles, or Dawkins before posting the video?
- Will DHS remove the video, and if not, what recourse does the NFL have against a federal agency?