It’s not every day that a federal agency goes viral — and certainly not with a sense of humor. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) managed exactly that this weekend, releasing a short clip that became instant internet legend: a handcuffed suspect being wheeled away on a flatbed platform cart while Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’” blared in the background.
The video, posted October 5 on ICE’s official X account, shows the suspect — face down, wrists restrained behind his back, clad in a black hoodie — being rolled along the pavement in Portland. The caption? “Refuse to walk? We’ll give you a ride.”
PORTLAND — Refuse to walk? We’ll give you a ride. pic.twitter.com/RibmhrTLSa
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) October 5, 2025
Within hours, the post exploded online. By Sunday evening it had racked up over 3 million impressions and tens of thousands of likes. Even people who don’t normally cheer for ICE found themselves admitting it was, if nothing else, an expertly executed bit of gallows humor — the kind of federal flex that cuts through the noise of outrage and irony in equal measure.
But beneath the viral sheen, there’s a serious backdrop. ICE’s Portland clip wasn’t just a joke — it was a quiet statement of resolve amid an increasingly hostile climate for federal law enforcement. Across the country, agents have faced escalating resistance from left-wing protesters, particularly in sanctuary jurisdictions that openly defy immigration enforcement.
Just two days before the video dropped, ICE and DHS officials faced violent confrontations outside a processing center in Broadview, Illinois. What began as a demonstration of roughly 250 anti-ICE activists turned into a full-scale clash when protesters refused to disperse. Federal officers resorted to pepper balls, tear gas, and rubber bullets to clear the crowd. More than a dozen arrests were made.
That same night, ICE agents in nearby Norridge and Bensenville were reportedly attacked by suspects who used vehicles “as weapons” — deliberate attempts to ram law enforcement during operations. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin put it bluntly: “Thankfully none of our law enforcement was killed because of these deranged criminals’ attacks. This is exactly what happens when [Illinois] Governor Pritzker, [Chicago] Mayor Johnson, and other sanctuary politicians demonize ICE and encourage illegal aliens to resist law enforcement.”
In that context, ICE’s “Ridin’” video feels less like trolling and more like defiance — a morale booster for an agency under siege from both activists and political leaders who treat immigration law as optional. It’s the visual equivalent of saying: We’re still here, still doing the job, and we’ll handle it however we have to.
The clip’s mix of discipline and dark humor also struck a chord with the public. For years, law enforcement has been portrayed as faceless, oppressive, and joyless — easy villains in someone else’s narrative. ICE’s post reminded people that behind the badge are men and women who have not only endured relentless criticism but kept showing up to work while being spit on, attacked, and caricatured.
