U.S. Department of Homeland Security uses Halo in ICE recruitment ad

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security shared an image from the video game Halo on social media to recruit people for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This followed a similar post from the White House account, which responded to GameStop’s announcement about the end of the console wars with a picture of the President as Master Chief. The posts were inspired by the news that Halo: Combat Evolved will be released on PlayStation in 2026. Many fans quickly noted the irony of the government using imagery from a Microsoft game series.

The Department of Homeland Security uses Halo in an ICE recruitment ad

A recent post from Homeland Security featured Master Chief from the video game series Halo driving the famous Warthog vehicle, with a soldier operating the turret. The image included the phrase “Destroy the Flood,” referencing a dangerous alien enemy from the Halo games that spreads by infecting living creatures. Below that, the post encouraged people to join ICE and also used the popular Halo tagline, “Finish the fight.”

This situation is worrying for several reasons. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has a history of unexpectedly detaining people – including at least 170 U.S. citizens, according to ProPublica – often using unmarked vehicles and masked agents. The phrase “Finish the Fight,” combined with this image, suggests ICE is framing its work as a kind of all-out battle.

Adding to the complexity, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, RFK Jr., recently announced an investigation into whether violent video games contribute to gun violence. This creates a confusing situation. It raises questions about whether these games are a serious concern or simply a way to promote more violence, and even whether players of violent games are being unfairly targeted. Fans of games like Halo might already recognize the irony in this approach.

Okay, so I was reading the reactions to something online, and someone pointed out something huge about Halo 3. Basically, we beat the Flood – that seriously scary enemy – by teaming up with the aliens, the Covenant, led by the Arbiter. And it got me thinking… using a game like Halo to promote ICE? That’s… really missing the point. The whole story of fighting the Flood is about two alien races, even though they were already at war with each other, putting aside their differences to fight something that threatened everyone. It’s about unity against a common enemy, and it feels totally backwards to use that story to justify, like, deporting people.

The recent events involving GameStop and the U.S. Government have sparked a wave of strange memes online. These include an image of President Trump wielding a weapon from the game Halo, and another appearing to depict Vice President JD Vance as the game’s AI character, Cortana. This mix of humorous and seemingly official imagery from Homeland Security is causing confusion. Many are wondering if this was a collaboration with Microsoft or Xbox. For those who remember the intense rivalry between gaming consoles, seeing Halo on PlayStation 5 could have been a unifying moment. Instead, it seems Halo is being used to fuel division across the country.

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2025-10-27 23:32