The National Football League requested the Department of Homeland Security remove a social media post that compared former Philadelphia Eagles safety Brian Dawkins' on-field hits to immigration enforcement actions with migrants. The DHS published the post on X Sunday evening.
The DHS post responded to an account reporting a migrant caravan nearing the U.S. southern border. The agency's post included the text "Our time has come" alongside a video montage of Dawkins' aggressive collisions during his playing career.
Dawkins, a Pro Football Hall of Famer inducted in 2018, told ESPN in a text message he did not authorize the agency to use his video. "I have very respectfully not given permission," he wrote. He declined to comment further.
As of noon ET Monday, the video remained accessible on the platform despite the NFL's request for removal. The incident represents a direct conflict between a major sports league and a federal agency over content use and rights.
The episode follows a separate instance in March when the White House posted a video that interwove NFL and NCAA football highlight hits with footage of airstrikes on Iranian targets. The White House published that video days after U.S. forces reportedly destroyed an elementary school in southern Iran, an event Amnesty International said killed more than 100 children. The White House video also remains on the social media site.
