‘Without permission’: Hasbro objects to US immigration authorities using Optimus Prime in AI deportation campaign
WASHINGTON, Sept 11 — Hasbro has responded to the US Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) use of Optimus...
On September 11, the toy company Hasbro expressed its objection to the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) utilizing the Transformers character Optimus Prime in AI-generated content aimed at promoting deportations. Entertainment Weekly reported that the DHS had posted several images on its official social media accounts the previous day, one of which featured Optimus Prime alongside branding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Another image depicted Optimus Prime confronting a Sikh man with the phrases "America for Americans," "Self-deport or find out," and "Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive, Mr Singh." The DHS posts were taken down on Thursday after facing criticism from Sikh and Indian-American groups, as well as from California Governor Gavin Newsom's office, which accused the DHS of targeting the Sikh community.
In a statement on Instagram, Hasbro stated that Optimus Prime is "a beloved character who represents humility, leadership, compassion, and justice." The company emphasized that it was aware of the recent posts using the character's likeness and noted that these posts were "done without permission and do not represent the Transformers brand or Hasbro." The DHS defended the image by stating it depicted Harjinder Singh, an Indian national who was charged in a Florida highway crash that resulted in three deaths in August 2025.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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