The White House under President Donald Trump officially launched an online arcade game website to promote the administration's key policies. Among the games is the "Immigrant Deportation Game," where players act as officers chasing illegal immigrants and building a border wall. This sparked heavy criticism from human rights groups condemning it as dehumanizing and turning people's lives into entertainment.
The U.S. government unveiled a classic-style arcade game website themed around "MAGA" (Make America Great Again) to counter Democratic Party strategies. The White House's official X account posted a promotional video featuring a logo parodying the famous Sega gaming company, with the caption "Can't stop winning, build the wall, send them back, fund Trump's account."
One game on the website is "Rio Run," a version of the classic Snake game. Players take the role of a white male border patrol officer patrolling the Rio Grande River to catch immigrants of different ethnicities. When caught, immigrants turn into orange prison uniforms and follow behind the player in a line to score points for deportations.
Another game is "Build The Wall," resembling Tetris, where players place brick blocks to build a border wall preventing an invasion by a "zombie army." There is also a fund-raising game where players control a bald eagle to collect diamonds and cash, depositing them into the "Trump Accounts," a $1,000 fund for children born between 2025 and 2028.
The White House described this as creative communication. A spokesperson explained the games aim to emphasize a "culture of fun and winning," contrasting with the Democratic Party's vision. They stated the administration is committed to using innovative methods to tell President Trump's success stories to better reach all Americans.
Human rights advocates and immigrant aid groups at the border expressed strong disapproval. America Garcia Gruval, co-director of the Frontera Federation in Texas, said, "It's disgusting. They have toyed with people's lives for years, and now they turn it into a video game. The creators of these games completely lack empathy and humanity."
Meanwhile, Adriana Husso, coordinator for AMIGOS San Diego Community, remarked that this shows the government's total irresponsibility, attempting to turn the crisis and human suffering in detention centers into a joke and a game.
This incident is part of the Trump 2.0 administration's aggressive online media strategy to attack political opponents, previously using racially charged imagery that sparked backlash. Although some players shared their game scores on social media, many citizens have begun to question the government's priorities amid rising living costs and ongoing international conflicts.