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Donald Trump’s government has launched a video game simulating the deportation of immigrants in the United States. The tool is available on the official White House website.
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The idea is to promote certain aspects of the president’s agenda in a provocative way. The publication sparked immediate reactions from human rights groups, while the government defended the initiative as a counterpoint to the Democrats’ so-called “socialist vision.” The company behind the game Tetris has released a statement distancing itself from the game and highlighting the consequences of copyright infringement.
How the game works on the White House website
Inspired by the classic “snake game”, the title has a retro look and puts the user in the role of Tom Homan, nicknamed the “border czar”. The objective is to get the character to round up the people who crossed the Rio Grande, on the border with Mexico, and to expel them.
This launch comes as the US government steps up its program of mass immigration detentions and deportations.
Arcade Collection features Tetris-style mechanics
The new feature is part of Arcade, a section of the White House website offering five low-resolution games focused on different aspects of Trump’s agenda.
Another option adapts Tetris logic. With the title “Protect the Border from the Approaching Horde,” the game challenges the user to build a wall on the border with Mexico, a project promoted by the president.
- The main game uses snake mechanics to simulate the capture and deportation of immigrants.
- The Tetris-inspired version tasks the user with building a wall on the Mexican border.
- DHS said it arrested nearly 51,000 undocumented immigrants in August, a number considered a record by the department.
Tetris Company distances itself from White House game
The company responsible for the Tetris brand said it had no involvement in creating “Build the Wall,” a White House game that replicates elements associated with the block classic. In a statement posted on social media, the company said it “takes copyright violations very seriously” and stressed that it believes in the power of connecting and bringing people together, not dividing them.
PS The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of “Build the Wall”.
PPS We take copyright infringement very seriously. pic.twitter.com/Fu02khRpT3
– Tetris (@Tetris_Official) September 4, 2026
To date, there is no information indicating that the Tetris company has formally requested the removal of the game. The company has also not confirmed whether it intends to take any action related to the use of elements similar to its intellectual property.
NGO reaction and official position
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Human rights groups were quick to criticize the move. Amérika García Grewal, co-director of the Texas-based NGO Frontera Federation, condemned the transformation of government actions into entertainment.
“It disgusts me. They spend years playing with people’s lives and now they are turning their actions into a video game,” García Grewal told AFP.
“Whoever created it has lost sight of what it means to be human and care about others,” he added.
The White House defended the publication. In a statement sent to AFP, he said the video game “highlights the contrast between a ‘fun’ and ‘successful’ culture and the dark socialist vision Democrats have for the United States.”
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Provocation on the networks and record number of arrests
The initiative follows a communication strategy that the White House uses openly on social networks: “trolling”, the practice of publishing provocative content to arouse outrage and go viral.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also recently released a video showing the expulsion of Haitian immigrants in handcuffs, after Washington revoked a status that allowed them to legally remain in the country. The material was considered degrading and racist by Trump’s opponents.
Video games are part of an increasingly provocative communications strategy from the White House, at a time when detentions and expulsions of immigrants are intensifying in the United States.
Valdir Antonelli
Valdir Antonelli is a journalist specializing in marketing and digital consumption.
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Ana Luiza Figueiredo
Ana Figueiredo is a technology editor at Olhar Digital. She graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU).
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