Filipino-Americans rattled by Trump’s migrant-chasing ‘xenophobia’ games
The recent release of classic arcade games on the White House website, which allow players to deport migrants and build a border wall, has stoked more fear and anger among Filipino-Americans, as observers call out the “xenophobic” tactics in US President Donald Trump’s widening immigration crackdown. Analysts and immigrant advocates described the games, unveiled on Thursday, as “frightening”,…
Recent online games on the White House website that simulate the deportation of migrants and construction of a border wall have stirred fear and anger among Filipino-Americans, observers say. These games, released on Thursday, have been described as "frightening" and trivialize the real-life consequences of US President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
One game, called Rio Run, has users chase immigrants near the Rio Grande River near the Texas-Mexico border, featuring border czar Tom Homan. Another game, modeled after Tetris, tasks players with building a wall and protecting the border from an influx of migrants. The White House stated that it did not grant permission for the games to reference its visuals or gameplay.
In July, a record number of immigrants were deported, with arrests reaching 49,571, according to legal scholars and researchers at the Deportation Data Project. In a recent case, green card holder and cancer-stricken Loreto Javar was released from a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center on "humanitarian grounds" after being held for over two months.
Javar's release came amid criticism from Filipino grassroots rights organization Malaya Tacoma and labor alliance Tanggol Migrante Movement, who accused Philippine embassy and consulate officials of trying to claim credit for the release after failing to act with urgency.
Dustin Paul, a Filipino-American content creator, noted the pervasive fear and anger in both online and offline communities. He emphasized that individuals being detained include fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, hard workers, and neighbors. Paul also pointed out that the games belittle the suffering of immigrants, likening their experiences to a game.
According to Leland Tabares, an assistant professor of race, ethnicity, and migration studies at Colorado College, the games contribute to normalizing the current climate of disenfranchisement and containment, reinforcing the model minority trope.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
