NFL asks US Homeland Security to remove video with former star player

Agency used video of Hall of Fame player Brian Dawkins to show readiness for border protection.

Philadelphia Eagles safety (20) Brian Dawkins celebrates after defeating the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium in Irving [File: Mark Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters]

The National Football League (NFL) has asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop using a video of a retired star player on social media, after the agency used highlights of his career to show its readiness to protect the United States border against a purported caravan of immigrants that was heading towards it.

“The league has requested the DHS take down the video,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said on Monday.

list 1 of 3 Landowners in Texas ask court to stop Trump border wall

list 2 of 3 US court blocks Trump plan to deport migrants to third countries

list 3 of 3 Pentagon approves troop deployment extension at Mexico border

The video, posted on Sunday, shows Brian Dawkins, a former player for the Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos, walking out before a game and chanting “the time has come”. It then features a montage of him tackling opposing players on the field, set to heavy metal music. The DHS post includes the caption: “Our time has come.”

Dawkins was a highly celebrated NFL player who retired in 2011 after playing 16 seasons in the NFL.

US President Donald Trump has made immigration a central part of his second term in office, terming the inflow of migrants across the border from Mexico an “invasion” and deploying federal forces in cities across the country to round up undocumented people.

During his first term, Trump deployed thousands of troops along the border with Mexico to stop a caravan of Central American migrants who had been making their way north. Critics called the deployment a vast overreaction and dismissed it as a political stunt ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.

该机构使用了名人堂球员布莱恩·道金斯的视频来展示边境保护的准备情况。

费城老鹰队安全卫（20号）布莱恩·道金斯在德克萨斯体育场击败达拉斯牛仔队后庆祝胜利。[图片：Mark Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports/路透社]

美国国家橄榄球联盟 (NFL) 已要求国土安全部 (DHS) 停止在社交媒体上使用一位退役明星球员的视频，此前该机构利用这位球员职业生涯的精彩片段来展示其保护美国边境免受所谓移民大篷车袭击的准备情况。

NFL发言人布莱恩·麦卡锡周一表示：“联盟已要求国土安全部撤下该视频。”

德克萨斯州三位土地所有者请求法院阻止特朗普修建边境墙（名单1/3）

美国法院阻止特朗普将移民遣返至第三国的计划（共3条，此为第2条）

五角大楼批准延长在墨西哥边境的部队部署（共3条，此为第3条）

这段周日发布的视频显示，前费城老鹰队和丹佛野马队球员布莱恩·道金斯在赛前走上球场，高喊“时机已到”。随后，视频剪辑了一系列他在球场上擒抱对方球员的画面，配以重金属音乐。国土安全部发布的帖子标题为：“我们的时代已经到来。”

道金斯是一位备受赞誉的 NFL 球员，在 NFL 效力 16 个赛季后于 2011 年退役。

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普将移民问题作为其第二个任期的核心内容，他将从墨西哥边境涌入的移民称为“入侵”，并在全国各地的城市部署联邦部队，以抓捕无证移民。

特朗普在其第一任期内，曾向美墨边境部署数千名士兵，以阻止一支正向北行进的中美洲移民队伍。批评人士称此举反应过度，并认为这是2018年中期选举前的政治噱头。