The White House posted a photo of a detained protester, altered by AI to look like she was crying, and promises “more memes”

The photo released by the White House shows a woman crying while being detained.

While the photo, which was distributed the day before by US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, shows that the activist behaved with restraint.

The Guardian noted that the woman in the photo is lawyer Nekima Levy Armstrong. She and two others were detained in Minnesota for protesting Pastor David Easterwood, who was also acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in St. Paul. Activists entered the church during the service, shouting slogans against deportations, which disrupted the service. They are charged with 18 USC 241 (conspiracy against rights).

The publication drew attention to the similarity of the photographs posted by the White House and Noem. According to The Guardian, the law enforcement officers in both images are positioned exactly in a line, as is the unknown person behind the arresting agent. The latter’s hand, according to the author of the article, in both photos is behind Armstrong’s back in exactly the same position. The only difference in the photo is the activist's skin color, which looks darker in the White House image, and her tear-stained face, likely generated by AI.

When asked whether the image had been digitally altered, the White House responded by sending a message to X White House Deputy Director for Communications Kaelan Dorr.

“Again, to those people who feel the need to reflexively defend the criminals who have committed terrible crimes in our country, I will share this information with you: the law will continue to be enforced. The memes will continue. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Doerr wrote.