The White House distributed a digitally altered image of activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, arrested after a protest against ICE, making her appear to be crying.

The White House was involved in a controversy after it published a digitally altered image of Nekima Levy Armstrong, who was arrested following a demonstration in St. Paul, Minnesota. An analysis by The Guardian showed that the photograph was edited to make Armstrong appear to be crying and with a darker skin tone than in reality. Armstrong was arrested along with two other individuals, protesting against a pastor associated with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The original and modified images were compared, confirming that they are from the same scene. The White House responded to questions regarding the image alteration through a post on the X platform, emphasizing that law enforcement will continue. This situation has sparked discussions about the use of artificial intelligence in official communication, with the White House having a history of posts made with the help of this technology.