Japanese graphic designer and illustrator Hiroshi Nagai condemned US Homeland Security on X after the official government account posted a graphic utilizing Nagai’s artwork to promote immigrant deportation.
アメリカ国土安全保障省に許可なく絵が使われています
どうしたものか https://t.co/t7GEtGTD3v— 永井博(Hiroshi Nagai) (@hiroshipj) January 2, 2026
The post published on New Year’s Day by the Homeland Security (@DHSgov) account used Nagai’s piece titled Impender Beach, part of Nagai’s “Beachcomber” series inspired by Japan’s city pop aesthetics and the artist’s signature tropical utopia style.
But instead of a happy paradise, the unauthorized post antagonizes with an overlaid anti-immigrant message reading, “America After 100 Million Deportations.”
The 78-year-old artist replied to the post, “The image is being used without permission from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. What should I do?”
Artist Hiroshi Nagai at an event in 2020 | Image: Wikimedia Commons
The government’s post immediately sparked controversy not only for suggesting that nearly a third of the American population of over 340 million should be kicked out to the joyous applause of the current administration, but also because this was not an isolated incident. Nagai is just the latest addition to a long list of artists the Homeland Security account has recently exploited without consent to promote its politics.
Previous targets include Thomas Kinkade, Sabrina Carpenter and Norman Rockwell. Carpenter, along with the Kinkade and Rockwell family, have all similarly denounced the X account for stealing their art and for using their creative property to spread an agenda that they do not align with. The official White House X page has also been known to use artwork without permission or use AI-generated graphics heavily inspired by pop culture icons. Last March the @WhiteHouse account published an AI image of a deportee in the art style of Studio Ghibli.
Hiroshi Nagai, born in Tokushima Prefecture, has been at the forefront of the Japanese art and illustration scene for over 40 years. He is best known for his distinct use of vivid colors and clean lines to create dreamy landscapes that evoke a nostalgic and liminal blend of both classic Americana and 1980s Japan.
Some of his most recognized artwork include the Ukiyo-e style woodcut print Time goes by…, the “Poolside” series and the cover of Eichi Ohtaki’s bestselling 1981 album A Long Vacation. In 2022 Uniqlo came out with a collection of apparel featuring original summer landscapes drawn by Nagai. The comeback of Japanese retro design has sparked a resurgence in Nagai’s popularity.
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Updated On January 6, 2026
