The NFL has asked the Department of Homeland Security to remove a social media video featuring Philadelphia Eagles legend Brian Dawkins after DHS used footage from his playing career in an immigration-enforcement post.
The video appeared on the official DHS X account on Sunday, September 27, 2026, in response to a post claiming that a large migrant caravan was approaching the U.S. southern border. DHS paired the message with footage of Dawkins’ famous pregame entrance and several of his hardest hits during his NFL career. The agency captioned the post, “Our time has come.”
By Monday, the NFL had confirmed that it wanted the video removed. Dawkins separately said he had not authorized the use of his name, image or likeness in the government post.
As of the latest reports Monday afternoon, the video remained online, while DHS defended its border-security messaging. The dispute has now placed one of the most recognizable defensive players in Eagles history at the center of a debate over the use of professional sports footage in government communications.
DHS Uses Brian Dawkins Highlights in Border Enforcement Post
The controversy began Sunday when the Department of Homeland Security posted a video featuring Brian Dawkins on its official X account.
The post came in response to a separate social media report claiming that a “huge migrant caravan” was headed toward the U.S. southern border. The original claim was presented on social media without evidence in the post itself, according to reporting by The Washington Post.
DHS responded with a 39-second video centered on Dawkins, the former Eagles safety who became famous for his aggressive style of play and emotional pregame entrance.
The footage begins with Dawkins’ iconic walkout. In the clip, he can be heard saying, “The time has come,” before the video moves into a montage of hard hits and other highlights from his NFL career.
DHS added the caption “Our time has come.”
The choice of Dawkins was not accidental. During his playing days, he was known as “Weapon X,” a nickname connected to his intense personality and physical approach on the football field. DHS later referenced that nickname when defending its use of the footage.
A DHS spokesperson told Front Office Sports that the department was “playing lockdown defense at the border” and would use “every Weapon at our disposal, from A to X, to keep Americans safe.”
The department also said U.S. Border Patrol was tracking a migrant caravan that had departed San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on September 20. DHS said Border Patrol was working with international partners to monitor the group’s movement.
The video quickly attracted attention because it placed familiar NFL footage into a completely different setting.
Rather than being used to promote football, Dawkins’ highlights were incorporated into a government message about immigration enforcement and border security.
That prompted the NFL to step in.
NFL Confirms It Asked DHS to Take Down the Video
On Monday, September 28, the NFL confirmed that it had asked DHS to remove the video.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told multiple news organizations that “the league has requested the DHS take down the video.” The Athletic first reported the NFL’s response, with The Washington Post and other outlets subsequently confirming the request.
The NFL’s position is significant because the league maintains strict control over its broadcast footage.
NFL broadcasts routinely include copyright language warning that the reproduction, distribution or use of game footage requires the league’s express written permission. The Dawkins video therefore raises questions about both the use of the player’s likeness and the use of NFL-owned footage.
The league’s request was not accompanied by a lengthy public statement about the immigration policy message itself. Instead, the NFL confirmed that it wanted DHS to remove the video.
That distinction matters.
The immediate dispute is centered on the use of professional football footage in the government post, while the broader context involves the administration’s immigration-enforcement messaging.
As of Monday afternoon, DHS had not complied with the NFL’s request.
The Los Angeles Times reported that both the original video and a follow-up image posted by DHS remained online. The follow-up post featured an edited image of Dawkins with the caption “The Border Is Closed.”
Front Office Sports also reported Monday afternoon that neither Dawkins-related post had been removed.
The situation therefore remained unresolved at the latest update.
For the NFL, the episode represents another instance in which league footage has been used by government accounts in a political or policy-related context.
For DHS, the Dawkins imagery fits a broader social-media strategy built around short, highly recognizable visual messages.
For Dawkins, however, there is another important issue: he says he did not give permission.
Brian Dawkins Says He Did Not Authorize the Government’s Use
Dawkins has publicly stated that he did not authorize DHS to use his footage.
In a message to ESPN, Dawkins said he had “very respectfully not given permission” for the agency to use his image. He later posted on X that he had not given permission for his name, image and likeness to be used.
That statement adds another layer to the story because Dawkins is not simply a recognizable former athlete. He is a Hall of Fame player whose image remains closely associated with the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL.
Dawkins played 16 NFL seasons with the Eagles and Denver Broncos. He spent the majority of his career in Philadelphia, playing for the Eagles from 1996 through 2008 before joining Denver.
During his career, Dawkins became one of the league’s most respected defensive backs.
He was selected to nine Pro Bowls and earned five All-Pro selections. He retired from the NFL after the 2011 season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
His “Weapon X” persona became an important part of his identity as an NFL player.
The pregame entrance featured in the DHS video was particularly recognizable to Eagles fans. Dawkins would sometimes emerge before games with an intensity that became part of his reputation in Philadelphia.
That imagery is exactly what DHS incorporated into its border-enforcement message.
The department’s response also appeared to intentionally reference Dawkins’ nickname.
“DHS is playing lockdown defense at the border,” a spokesperson told Front Office Sports. The department added that it would use every “Weapon” at its disposal, a clear reference to Dawkins’ “Weapon X” nickname.
Dawkins’ response indicates that he did not want his identity or football career associated with the message.
The Eagles had not publicly commented on the situation in the latest reports.
The NFL, meanwhile, has already made its position clear by requesting the video’s removal.
The disagreement illustrates the complicated relationship between sports celebrities, copyrighted footage and government social media accounts.
It also comes after other instances in which the Trump administration has incorporated sports footage into official social media messaging.
The Dawkins Dispute Follows Earlier Use of Sports Footage
The Brian Dawkins controversy is not an isolated example of professional sports footage appearing in Trump administration social media posts.
In March 2026, the White House posted videos combining NFL and other sports highlights with footage of military strikes connected to Iran.
One of the football clips featured former Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown delivering a famous hit on Reggie Bush during the 2006 playoffs. The sports footage was edited together with images of military explosions.
That earlier video remains online, according to reporting published Monday.
The NFL did not publicly confirm whether it requested the removal of that White House video.
The Dawkins episode is therefore notable because this time the league has explicitly confirmed that it asked a government agency to remove a post.
The Guardian also noted that the Trump administration has previously incorporated sports-related imagery into immigration messaging. In 2025, the Department of Homeland Security used an AI-generated IndyCar-style image featuring the number associated with Mexican driver Pato O’Ward while promoting plans for an immigration detention facility in Indiana. O’Ward subsequently said the post caught him off guard.
The use of recognizable sports imagery can make government social media posts more visually striking and easier to recognize.
But the Dawkins case demonstrates the potential complications that can arise when that imagery is used without the apparent approval of the athlete or sports organization involved.
Copyright and publicity rights can become particularly complicated when footage from professional sports broadcasts is repurposed outside its original context.
The NFL’s decision to publicly request the removal of the Dawkins video signals that the league is paying attention to how its footage is being used by government accounts.
At the same time, Dawkins’ own statement makes clear that he did not authorize the use of his identity for this particular message.
As of the latest reporting on September 28, DHS had not removed the video or the related image.
The department continued defending its border-security messaging, while the NFL maintained its request for the removal of the Dawkins footage.
For Eagles fans, the story has transformed familiar images from Dawkins’ playing career into the centerpiece of a national government-media dispute.
For the NFL, it is another reminder of the value and sensitivity surrounding its copyrighted game footage.
And for DHS, the episode highlights the risks that can come with using recognizable athletes and sports culture in official government messaging.
The next development will depend largely on whether DHS decides to remove the video following the NFL’s request.
For now, the latest confirmed position is straightforward: the NFL wants the video taken down, Dawkins says he did not authorize its use, and DHS had left the posts online as of Monday afternoon.
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