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On Tuesday, August 5th, as part of an announcement for a new immigration detention center in Indiana, the official US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) X account posted an image of an IndyCar vehicle in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-themed livery. This same image was shared on other social media platforms, such as Instagram, as well. The detention center was referred to as the "Speedway Slammer" in both the post with the image as well as a separate post by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. This seems to be a nod to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a world-famous racing track located in Indiana.
“We were unaware of plans to incorporate our imagery as part of yesterday’s announcement,” said Penske Entertainment as part of a statement to ABC in response to the picture. The company, which owns both the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as well as the IndyCar NTT series, continued on to say, “Consistent with our approach to public policy and political issues, we are communicating our preference that our IP not be utilized moving forward in relation to this matter.”
Despite this, the DHS has stood its ground, with a spokesperson stating, “An AI generated image of a car with 'ICE' on the side does not violate anyone's intellectual property rights. Any suggestion to the contrary is absurd,” and that the, “DHS will continue promoting the 'Speedway Slammer' as a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combatting illegal immigration."
Of note, the car in the image features the number 5. This number is currently being used by Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward, who was born in Monterrey, Mexico. According to AP News, O’Ward was unaware of the post until he received a text message about it from a friend.
On the incident, O’Ward said, “It caught a lot of people off guard. Definitely caught me off guard.” He added,“I was just a little bit shocked at the coincidences of that and, you know, of what it means. ... I don’t think it made a lot of people proud, to say the least.”
In regard to his number being on the ICE-branded car, O’Ward said, “I haven’t really read into it too much because I don’t think I want to.”
As of yet, it is unclear what, if any, further action will be taken by Penske Entertainment, but the way that this unfolds will set a precedent for the way that other sports and entertainment organisations react to imagery adjacent to them being used for political messaging.
Update: As of August 8th, 2025, it appears that DHS has removed the image from their social media accounts without comment.
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