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White House Uses Video Games to Promote Immigration Crackdown
The White House made video games to promote President Trump’s immigration policies.
One game asks players to build a wall to stop people crossing the border.
Another game rewards players for catching people near the Rio Grande.
The games use ideas from popular games such as Tetris, Flappy Bird and Halo.
The company behind Tetris complained because it said the game was being used to divide people.
The White House said the games let people interact with its policies.
Critics argue that the imagery makes serious immigration actions look like entertainment.
The administration has also used superhero and animated-style images in its messages.
The White House released arcade-style games supporting President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
Build the Wall, modeled on Tetris, depicted migrants crossing the southern border as walls were constructed.
Tetris’s company objected to the game, saying its brand promotes connection rather than division.
Other games include Rio Run, Supply Line and Flappy Bill, each tied to administration themes.
The administration has also used Spider-Man, Studio Ghibli and Halo imagery in immigration messaging.
- Who
- The White House, the Trump administration, Tetris’s company and immigration agencies are involved.
- What
- The White House released video games and pop-culture imagery to promote its immigration crackdown and other policies.
- Where
- The games and messages appeared online, including on the White House website and government social-media accounts.
- When
- The games were released in early September; other cited imagery appeared last year, earlier this year and last October.
- Why
- The White House said the games were interactive policy messaging intended to contrast its approach with what it called Democrats’ vision for America.
White House Position
Critics’ Concerns
Using Games for Policy Messaging
White House Position
The White House called the games interactive policy communication and said they promote a culture of fun and winning.
Critics’ Concerns
The article presents the games as an effort to rile online communities and turn divisive immigration policies into entertainment.
Use of Tetris-Inspired Design
White House Position
Build the Wall used a familiar tile-matching format to communicate the administration’s border policy.
Critics’ Concerns
The Tetris Company objected to the game and said Tetris stands for connection rather than division; the game was subsequently removed.
Depicting Migrants as Game Enemies
White House Position
Administration messages portrayed immigration enforcement through fictional enemies and characters, including aliens, zombies and Halo’s Flood.
Critics’ Concerns
The article criticizes these portrayals for depicting migrants as threatening fictional creatures and framing deportations as a game.
Key facts
- Featured game
- Build the Wall required players to stack shapes to stop a fictional zombie border siege.
- Game inspiration
- Build the Wall was modeled on the tile-matching game Tetris.
- Other games
- Rio Run, Supply Line and Flappy Bill were also released.
- Tetris response
- The Tetris Company said it believes in connection and bringing people together, not dividing them.
- White House defense
- The administration described the games as “policy you can interact with.”
- Digital strategy official
- Kaelan Dorr, a deputy assistant to the president, defended the effort as a contrast between fun and winning and Democrats’ vision.
- Additional imagery
- Government messages also used Studio Ghibli-style, Spider-Man and Halo imagery to discuss migrants and deportations.
Quotes
Tetris Company
The company behind the Tetris video game franchise
“At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them.”
telegraphindia.com
Kaelan Dorr
Deputy assistant to the US President and head of digital strategy
“This is an effort to further contrast between a culture of fun and winning and the dark socialist vision Democrats have for America.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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