An official White House social media account has posted an AI-altered image of an attorney arrested in connection with an anti-ICE church protest, to make it appear as though she was crying.

Nekima Levy Armstrong is a civil rights lawyer and activist, who, the White House claims, “played a key role” in organising a protest on Cities Church in St Paul, Minnesota.

Homeland Security Secretary Kriti Noem said of the arrest: “Religious freedom is the bedrock of the United States - there is no first amendment right to obstruct someone from practicing their religion."

An original White House X post of Armstrong’s arrest showed her calm and expressionless. Half an hour later, it was replaced with a new image of her crying. Armstrong’s makeup had been visually ‘faded’, and lines around her face and neck appeared more pronounced.

https://t.co/ACPZFX2m3x pic.twitter.com/MyvE9HkSRA

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 22, 2026

The image has received particular backlash for being “believable,” with nothing on the post to suggest it was AI-manipulated.

A spokesperson for the White House, Kaelan Dorr, has insisted the image was simply a “meme,” and responded to requests for comment with: “Law enforcement will continue. The memes will continue.”

It comes months after President Donald Trump sought legal action against the BBC for splicing video footage of his speaking about the January 6th protests.

Alex Krasodomski, from think tank Chatham House, told the BBC: “I would imagine most citizens expect government accounts to be trustworthy sources, more than meme accounts.”