Elon Musk, the billionaire adviser to US President Donald Trump, recently came under fire for his reaction to a video posted by the White House showing immigrants in shackles being prepared to board a deportation flight from Seattle. The footage, which was shared on social media, depicted illegal immigrants being put in restraints as they were getting ready to board the plane.
In the video, law enforcement officials were seen lifting heavy chains attached to handcuffs and shackles chains from a basket and arranging them on the airport tarmac. The migrants were then seen being fitted with these restraints before boarding the deportation flight. The White House labelled the footage as an autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) video, a type of video that triggers a tingling sensation in some viewers.
Elon Musk reposted the video on his social media handle with the caption “Haha wow”, sparking outrage among netizens. Many criticized Musk for finding humor in the plight of undocumented immigrants. Comments on his post called his reaction “disgusting” and “dehumanizing”, with one user stating, “You are pathetic, @elonmusk. A small man who laughs at a video of undocumented immigrants in shackles boarding a plane for being deported.”
The treatment of deportees by the US government has been a subject of controversy, with concerns raised over the dehumanizing manner in which these individuals are being handled. President Trump’s administration has been cracking down on immigration, leading to the deportation of thousands of undocumented immigrants from various countries, including India, Pakistan, Guatemala, Afghanistan, and China.
In some cases, when faced with difficulties in directly deporting migrants to their homelands, the US has been using Panama as a “stopover” before sending them back. Costa Rica is also expected to receive a similar flight of third-country deportees in the near future.
The incident involving Elon Musk’s reaction to the deportation video highlights the sensitive nature of immigration policies and the treatment of individuals caught in the crossfire. As the debate over immigration continues to unfold, it is essential to consider the human rights and dignity of all individuals involved in these complex and often contentious situations.
