NFL asks DHS to remove Brian Dawkins highlights used in immigration post

# What happened

Fame safety Brian Dawkins after DHS used the clip alongside posts about a migrant caravan. The clip — roughly 39 seconds of Dawkins' hard-hitting highlights — was attached to a reposted account's report about a caravan approaching the U.S. border and accompanied by the caption "Our time has come."

Dawkins said he had not authorized the use of his name, image and likeness for that post. The NFL confirmed it asked DHS to take the video down. DHS later posted a still image of Dawkins with the caption "The Border Is Closed." As of early Monday afternoon after the story was published, both the initial post and the follow-up image remained online.

# Why it matters

This incident touches on three practical issues: unauthorized use of a retired player's image, a federal agency using sports footage in partisan-style messaging about immigration, and how agencies respond when asked to remove content. Dawkins explicitly said he has not given permission beyond those he currently does business with, framing the dispute as an unauthorized commercial or promotional use of his NIL (name, image, likeness).

# What each party said

• NFL: Confirmed it requested that DHS take down the Dawkins video and made that request public via an NFL spokesperson.
• Brian Dawkins: Posted on X that he had not given permission for his NIL to be used beyond existing business relationships and posted a video showing he was taking the matter seriously but light in tone.
• DHS: Issued a public statement tied to its messaging on immigration enforcement that referenced Dawkins' nickname and described operational details about tracking the caravan and border enforcement policies.

# Immediate outcome

# Practical implications

• For athletes and public figures: This highlights continued friction over control of NIL and how third parties — including government accounts — may use existing footage or images without permission.
• For federal agencies: Using public figures or pop-culture references in enforcement messaging can prompt legal and reputational pushback and may complicate outreach goals.

# Bottom line

Dawkins used in posts about a migrant caravan after Dawkins said he had not authorized the use. DHS defended its messaging and kept the posts online as of the most recent update.