US President Donald Trump's White House has unveiled a website featuring arcade games with a 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) theme, allowing players to deport migrants and build a border wall. The games, which include an updated version of Snake called Rio Run and a Tetris-inspired game named Build the Wall, have drawn swift criticism from rights groups. The release coincides with the Trump administration's intensified efforts to arrest and deport undocumented migrants.
Rio Run places players in the role of US border czar Tom Homan, chasing migrants with different skin colors along the Rio Grande river on the Mexican border. Build the Wall tasks players with stacking blocks to construct a border wall, with instructions urging them to 'protect the border from the coming horde.' Another game involves collecting nets to deposit in 'Trump accounts'—investment accounts with a $1,000 deposit for children born between 2025 and 2028.
The White House promoted the games on X with a video featuring the MAGA logo, inspired by video game maker Sega's logo. 'CAN'T STOP WINNING. Build the wall. Deport. Fill a Trump Account,' the video declared. In a statement, the White House claimed the initiative aimed to highlight the President's accomplishments in an engaging manner, contrasting 'a culture of fun and winning' with what it described as the 'dark socialist vision' of Democrats.
Rights groups have condemned the games, accusing the administration of dehumanizing and ridiculing migrants. Amerika Garcia Grewal, co-director of the Frontera Federation in Eagle Pass, Texas, told AFP, 'Makes me sick. They've been playing games with people's lives for years, now they've made a video game of what they're doing.' Adriana Jasso, program coordinator for AMIGOS San Diego Community, criticized the games for showing a 'fundamental lack of seriousness' from the administration.
Trump campaigned on a promise to expel millions of undocumented migrants and has taken several actions since returning to power aimed at speeding up deportations and reducing border crossings. The White House has a history of using social media stunts to reinforce its messages and provoke liberal opponents, often resulting in backlash. This latest move adds to the controversy surrounding the administration's immigration policies.
The introduction of these games underscores the administration's hardline stance on immigration, a policy area that has significant global implications. For Bangladesh, a country with a substantial diaspora and ongoing discussions about migration and border security, the Trump administration's approach to immigration serves as a stark reminder of the complex and often contentious nature of international migration policies.
