Chicago Sun-Times sends DHS cease and desist
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
The Chicago Sun-Times has told the Department of Homeland Security to stop using the newspaper's photos and videos in the federal agency's videos of immigration enforcement.
Why it matters: In a letter to the department, the Sun-Times accuses DHS of using three of the paper's photos in its social media posts, which the paper's attorney says is intellectual property rights infringement, but also implies that the paper "endorses" DHS' enforcement tactics.
What they're saying: "It is imperative that, as a news organization, CSTM [Chicago Sun-Times Media] maintains its independence in order to fairly report on government agencies," attorney Steven Mandell wrote in the letter.
- DHS' "false implication that CSTM gave permission for its intellectual property to be used in connection with the Department's publicity campaign damages CSTM's credibility and interferes with its ability to report on these issues."
Zoom in: One of the examples Mandell cites is a photo of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents walking in front of Trump Tower, taken by Sun-Times photo editor Ashlee Rezin in September.
- Two other examples cited include photos in a montage posted last week by DHS of Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino in a video superimposed with the text: "We Will Not be Stopped."
Zoom out: This is not the first time DHS has been called out by artists and photographers for using their work in the department's media, including a Thomas Kincaide painting that the late artist's foundation asked DHS to remove, according to ABC News.
What's next: "CSTM will file a claim for infringement if the photographs are not immediately removed from the Department's social media sites and requests that DHS refrain from using CSTM's intellectual property in the future," Mandell outlines in the letter.
State of play: As of Monday, the social media posts were still up.
- When asked if DHS has responded to the letter, Mandell told Axios: "Crickets."
The other side: Axios has reached out to DHS for comment but has not received a response.