Latest news with #SpeedwaySlammer
Indianapolis Star
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
ICE's 'Speedway Slammer' propaganda gets IndyCar — and America — wrong
Last week, Department of Homeland Security officials began promoting a deal with the state of Indiana to use 1,000 state prison beds for federal immigration detention — calling it the 'Speedway Slammer.' (The facility itself is 70 miles north of Speedway, near Bunker Hill.) Social media posts from government accounts hyping the deal included an AI-generated image of an ICE-branded Indy car on track at a version of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that featured a hulking prison in the background instead of the iconic pagoda. The IndyCar racing series — which shares corporate ownership with IMS — acted swiftly to extricate itself from a conversation it hadn't wished to enter, asking DHS to stop using intellectual property. DHS insisted no such violation occurred, but quietly deleted the image — only to post another one Aug. 8 with a fleet of slightly modified ICE-liveried racecars. Many fans remain upset about the incident, with many blaming the series for not criticizing the Trump administration's immigration policy more forcefully — and even calling for boycotts. There's more to a sport than its ownership. The series' response hardly scratched the surface of why using IndyCar and the Speedway for literal government propaganda, promoting immigration detention, felt to so many of us like a violation of a racing series and a set of traditions that we dearly love. First of all, let's talk about why DHS is doing this to begin with. Using state facilities to detain immigrants helps muddy the waters about who's actually responsible. In Florida, where a facility called "Alligator Alcatraz" is ostensibly operated by a state department that doesn't have a written agreement with the feds, detainees have been served maggot-infested food and had to clean out toilets with their bare hands. But it's also happening because the government simply needs the space. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been ordered to meet astronomically high arrest quotas, which can only be met by sweeping people up first and checking their immigration status later. Frequent reports of U.S. citizens getting arrested and detained have raised real concern that ICE is resorting to industrial-scale racial profiling to make its numbers. Court cases show government lawyers have argued that agents should target people based on factors like speaking Spanish, looking Mexican, or working in gardening. The message being sent is that some people are presumed unwelcome, particularly Latinos. Communities around the U.S. have heard it loud and clear: community parades, ethnic restaurants and Spanish-language church services have all shuttered or been cancelled out of fear of ICE. And the message is reinforced by the government's jokey, sneering tone on social media, posting 'soothing' videos of clanking chains alongside recruitment pitches to join ICE and 'protect your culture.' That's the culture war DHS dragged IndyCar into — casually appropriating the series and the Speedway as if it owned Americana, as if anyone who loves American traditions would share its vision of who counts as 'real America.' It couldn't be more wrong. Take Pato O'Ward, my very favorite racing driver, whose IndyCar No. 5 showed up in AI-mangled form on the original (deleted) image DHS posted. O'Ward races under the Mexican flag but has roots in Texas as well. He's not politically outspoken and mostly demurred when asked about the 'Speedway Slammer' image, but did say 'I don't think it made a lot of people proud, to say the least.' The word choice was striking; O'Ward's pride in representing his community — and its pride in him — is one of the great joys of IndyCar in 2025. The same people who are being scared out of public life by ICE in other regards are some of the most visible fans at every IndyCar race. Of course they're welcome. Of course everyone is welcome. First-time Indianapolis 500 attendees, or newcomers to the racing series from the driver's seat to the broadcast booth, are consistently bowled over by just how welcoming IndyCar is. What makes the last Sunday in May the best day of the year is the combination of traditional ritual and an unpretentious, open vibe. You don't have to be a Hoosier to choke up at 'Back Home Again in Indiana,' any more than you have to be a gearhead to hold your breath at the greatest spectacle in racing. When I evangelize for the 500 to my coastal friends, I always tell them it's the Midwest at its best. It's America at its best. ICE doesn't own the rights to IndyCar, and it doesn't own the rights to America. The rest of us get a say in the meaning of the things we love.
Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
DHS deletes X post promoting new immigrant detention facility with IndyCar image
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on August 8 deleted its August 5 X post that depicted a seemingly AI-generated image of an IndyCar to promote its new northern Indiana immigrant detention facility, dubbed the 'Speedway Slammer.' After Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Penske Entertainment requested on August 6 that the image not be used, DHS said that the agency did not plan to change the way it marketed the facility. DHS on Friday did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why the post was deleted. The original post featured an image of a white IndyCar emblazoned with the letters 'ICE' — Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The car also bore a number 5, leading critics to point out that Pato O'Ward, who drives the number 5 IndyCar, is the only Mexican 500 driver. 'We were unaware of plans to incorporate our imagery as part of the announcement,' Penske Entertainment said in a statement to IndyStar. '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.' A DHS spokesperson on August 6 told IndyStar that the Trump Administration did not see a problem with the image. 'An AI generated image of a car with 'ICE' on the side does not violate anyone's intellectual property rights,' DHS said in the statement. 'Any suggestion to the contrary is absurd.' The so-called Speedway Slammer, as named by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, will use 1,000 beds at the Miami Correctional Facility to house and detain immigrants. The move, announced Aug. 1, comes amid the Trump Administration's sweeping deportation efforts and crackdowns on immigration to the U.S. Last month, a similar detention facility in Florida, nicknamed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' made headlines for the allegedly 'inhumane' conditions detainees say they are facing.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Sex toys, crypto and the WNBA
Happy Friday!🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Poppy the axolotl found a new home. WNBA sex toy incidents started by Crypto meme coin group Cryptocurrency meme coin creators say they are responsible for the sex toys being thrown at multiple WNBA games, and they are planning more "pranks." You read that correct: From Atlanta to Los Angeles, no arena has been safe from neon green objects whizzing from the stands, through the air and onto WNBA courts. What to know about Trump's proposed census President Donald Trump announced his intention to "immediately begin work on a new" census, raising questions about whether the plan would be constitutional and how it would affect the partisan makeup of Congress. His announcement came amid Texas Republicans' efforts to perform an unusual mid-decade redrawing of congressional maps, which are normally drawn after the census determines the number of seats in each state's delegation at the beginning of each new decade. Political experts told USA TODAY Republicans want to draw new congressional districts, so they might be able to mitigate the number of seats they lose. More news to know now What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here. IndyCar dragged into controversy with Trump administration's ICE car, 'Speedway Slammer' About 70 miles north of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indianapolis 500, a new immigration detention center got a noteworthy and controversial name: 'The Speedway Slammer." In a social media post, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem published an image of an Indy car driving past a prison emblazoned with the letters ICE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — and No. 5, which belongs to NTT IndyCar Series driver Pato O'Ward, the only Mexican in the Indy 500 and the series this year. The Speedway Slammer joins "Alligator Alcatraz,'' a detention center in Florida that marked the only other partnership with a state to expand ICE detention capacity. One man's journey to reclaim family land in the American South Heirs' property is usually defined as land handed down without clear, official documentation. Over the course of the 20th century, Black Americans lost roughly 80% of the property they owned at the peak of ownership a few decades after the Civil War because of theft and systemic injustices. How hard could it be to "not lose" several dozen acres of land? In a nation where the scars of slavery and racialized violence still loom, pretty hard, as it turns out. Researchers estimate that between 1865 and 1910, Black Americans acquired 15 million acres of land. But by 2001, an estimated 80% of it had been lost. Read Georgia man Saul Blair's story, the first in a two-part USA TODAY series, "The Heir's Property." Today's talkers Don't want Insta followers seeing your location? Instagram's new feature shows users' current locations, prompting some to worry their location will suddenly be shared on the platform. While location services already existed on the app through the tagging option on posts and stories, some social media users raised concerns about Meta's new map feature that shows a user's last active location. A user's location is updated whenever they open the app or return to the app if it's been running in the background, per Meta. Here's how to turn Instagram map location sharing on and off. Photo of the day: Calling all pommel horse fans Missing last summer's Olympics? Get your gymnastics fix this weekend as the U.S. gymnastics championships kick off in New Orleans. Is Simone Biles competing? Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Herald Scotland
Speedway Slammer, ICE car bring IndyCar, Indy 500 into Trump politics
"COMING SOON to Indiana: The Speedway Slammer,'' Kristi Noem, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, wrote on her X account Aug. 5. "Today, we're announcing a new partnership with the state of Indiana to expand detention bed space by 1,000 beds.'' In her post, Noem also thanked Indiana governor Michael Braun "for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Indiana's Speedway Slammer. Avoid arrest and self deport now using the @CBP.'' Homeland Security also issued the image of an Indy car emblazoned with the letters ICE - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - and No. 5, which belongs to NTT IndyCar Series driver Pato O'Ward, the only Mexican in the Indy 500 and the series this year. The car appears to be driving past a prison. The Speedway Slammer ???? — Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 5, 2025 O'Ward, who drives for Arrow McLaren, is ranked second in points in the 2025 season and has won two races this year. It wasn't immediately clear whether the use of the 5 was purposeful to point to O'Ward or if it was just a coincidence. Outside the number, the car lacked any other connections to O'Ward's traditional black-and-papaya-colored chassis. A spokesperson for Arrow McLaren declined to comment when reached by the Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, regarding the matter. Border Czar Tom Homan, asked about requests not to use the name Speedway, said he didn't know who specifically was behind the name. "I don't want the names [to detract from] the great work they're doing," Homan said. "This is serious work and it's dangerous work." Penske Entertainment, which owns Indianapolis Speedway and the NTT IndyCar Series, provided a statement to The Star in which it said it was unaware of plans to incorporate its imagery as part of the announcement. "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,'' Penske Entertainment said. Roger Penske, founder and chairman of Penske Corporation, received the medal of freedom from President Donald Trump during Trump's first term in the White House. Penske Entertainment is a subsidiary of Penske Corporation. The Speedway Slammer joins "Alligator Alcatraz,'' a detention center in Florida that marked the only other partnership with a state to expand ICE detention capacity. "We are proud to work with President Trump and Secretary Noem as they remove the worst of the worst with this innovative partnership," said Braun, Indiana's governor, said in news release issued by DHS. "Indiana is taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combating illegal immigration and will continue to lead the way among states." Contributing: Nathan Brown, Indianapolis Star
USA Today
4 days ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
IMS owner asks Homeland Security to stop using IndyCar in 'Speedway Slammer' plans
See new story for the Department of Homeland Security's response. The owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said it was caught off-guard by the use of an IndyCar chassis to help announce the Trump administration's plan to put ICE detainees in a northern Indiana detention facility – a facility that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem dubbed the 'Speedway Slammer.' 'We were unaware of plans to incorporate our imagery as part of (the Aug. 5) announcement,' Penske Entertainment said in a statement provided to IndyStar. '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.' The company, which announced the sale of a 33% stake to Fox Corp. last week, fell short of publicly demanding any sort of retraction or issuing a formal cease-and-desist order to prevent future use of either the car imagery or the use of 'speedway.' Penske Entertainment doesn't own a trademark to the word, but it's closely associated with IMS and the Indy 500 in Indiana. On Tuesday evening, Noem posted on X: 'COMING SOON to Indiana: The Speedway Slammer. Today, we're announcing a new partnership with the state of Indiana to expand detention bed space by 1,000 beds. Thanks to @GovBraun for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Indiana's Speedway Slammer. Avoid arrest and self deport now using the @CBP Home App.' Less than an hour later, the official Homeland Security account on X posted what appeared to have been an AI-generated image of a white present-day Indy car with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) branding all across the livery. The car carried the No. 5, which since 2020 has been the one used by IndyCar's lone Mexican driver, Pato O'Ward – the series' most popular active driver. It wasn't immediately clear whether the use of the 5 was purposeful to point to O'Ward or if it was happenstance. Outside the number, the car lacked any other connections to O'Ward's traditional black-and-papaya-colored chassis. A spokesperson for car owner Arrow McLaren declined to comment when reached by IndyStar regarding the matter. Of note, in October 2019, just over a week before he formally announced the purchase of the assets that would become Penske Entertainment, Roger Penske received the medal of freedom from President Donald Trump during the latter's first term. Earlier this year, Penske and IMS nearly played host to Trump for the Indy 500, which would've made him the first sitting U.S. president to attend the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, after Penske extended an invitation in April while he and members of his various race teams attended the White House for a celebration of the team's recent on-track accomplishments. Trump had mentioned he wished to make the trip, but the White House confirmed days before the race that the President would not be in attendance on race day at IMS. Penske Entertainment's understated attempt to distance itself from Tuesday's announcement and any future promotion of the program follows Indiana Gov. Mike Braun's Aug. 1 announcement confirming the state's formalized partnership with federal immigration authorities in conjunction with the state's Department of Homeland Security, the Indiana State Police, the Indiana Department of Corrections and the Indiana National Guard to 'assist in deporting individuals who are unlawfully in the U.S.' As part of that cooperation, Braun said, the state's Department of Corrections is working with ICE to make available up to 1,000 beds at the Miami Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison located about 70 miles north of Indianapolis at the former Grissom Air Force Base. Annie Goeller, chief communications officer for IDOC, said part of the facility has not been filled because of a staffing shortage. On Tuesday, Braun told IndyStar that the Trump administration hadn't yet established a timeline for when it planned to move forward on converting the military base into an immigration detention center. "When it comes to our state, we're going to cooperate ... as we're housing detainees that have broken the law after they entered illegally, we're going to cooperate with the federal government," Braun told the IndyStar. "When it comes to any of the other issues on due process and so forth, we want to make sure we're doing that the right way as well." Get IndyStar's motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. (This story was updated to include video.)
