Story perspectives

NFL Asks DHS to Remove Brian Dawkins Border Video

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 3:57 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

NFL asked Department of Homeland Security to remove a video of safety Brian Dawkins posted on X Sunday.
NFL objected to DHS using Dawkins’s likeness to depict immigration enforcement as a “weapon” without permission.
Brian Dawkins posted on X that only his business partners may use his name, image or likeness.
DHS said it will use every “weapon” from A to X to protect border and posted a still captioned “The Border Is Closed.”

History

Historical Context

In 1988 the Ninth Circuit decided *Midler v. Ford Motor Co.*, holding that a celebrity’s voice and likeness cannot be used commercially without consent. That right-of-publicity precedent now informs the NFL’s warning to the Department of Homeland Security that employing former safety Brian Dawkins’ image without permission could invite similar litigation.

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Story summary

NFL asked Department of Homeland Security to remove a video of safety Brian Dawkins posted on X Sunday.
NFL objected to DHS using Dawkins’s likeness to depict immigration enforcement as a “weapon” without permission.
Brian Dawkins posted on X that only his business partners may use his name, image or likeness.
DHS said it will use every “weapon” from A to X to protect border and posted a still captioned “The Border Is Closed.”

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