DHS Posts, Then Deletes, ‘Built the Wall' World Cup Meme

The Department of Homeland Security deleted a social media post on Sunday after backlash over its attempt to tie the World Cup to immigration agendas.

The department posted an edited photograph of the United States men’s national soccer team to include, between the goal and the players, what appears to be the U.S.-Mexico border wall, captioned “Built the wall.”

The post came after the United States’ 2-0 victory over Australia on Saturday. The post was later removed without explanation from the department’s account.

DHS did not respond to a request for comment on why the “Built the wall” post was removed or whether it reflected official department policy.

The deletion came hours after a separate DHS post had already set off a wave of online criticism. Ahead of the match, the official DHS account published a photograph of three American players with the caption: “Defend the Homeland; One Nation. One Homeland. One Team,” accompanied by the words “OUR SOIL.”

The players featured in that post were defenders Chris Richards and Sergiño Dest and forward Folarin Balogun. Balogun had scored twice in the USMNT‘s 4-1 defeat of Paraguay at the start of the tournament. He is an American citizen by virtue of birthright citizenship.

The case is Trump v. Barbara, argued before the Supreme Court on April 1. A ruling is expected any day now as part of the court’s end-of-term “June boom.”

A separate piece of legislation, pushed by Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno, a Republican, could also have reshaped the roster. Moreno introduced the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 in December, which would require Americans who hold citizenship in another country to renounce it or else lose their United States citizenship.

Had the bill become law, players including Sergiño Dest, Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Malik Tillman, and Gio Reyna — all dual nationals — could have faced a forced choice between their American and foreign passports before setting foot on the World Cup.

Legal scholars have said the bill is unconstitutional, noting that the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that citizenship cannot be stripped from Americans as a matter of policy. The bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee and has not advanced.

What’s Next for the USMNT Team in the World Cup

The United States, led by manager Mauricio Pochettino, sits atop Group D heading into its final group-stage match. The team faces Turkey on June 25 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, at 10 p.m. ET.

With wins over Paraguay and Australia, the Americans have positioned themselves to dream of going further than any United States side has in the modern era of the men’s World Cup. The top two teams from each group, plus the eight best third-place finishers, advance to the round of 32, which begins June 28.

If the United States finishes as Group D winners, they play their round of 32 match on July 1 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas and Jason Lemon.

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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 10:51 AM.