Latest news with #TheSpeedwaySlammer
The Herald Scotland
a day 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
2 days ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
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'' is what the Trump administration is calling it. '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 🏁 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
2 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.)
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
A new immigrant detention partnership nicknamed after Indiana's iconic racetrack inspires backlash
More beds, not new construction Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem trumpeted the deal late Tuesday, saying Indiana would add 1,000 detention beds for immigrants facing deportation under a revived federal program. On social media, DHS also Advertisement 'If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Indiana's Speedway Slammer,' Noem said, likening it to the controversial facility built in the Florida Everglades. She added the new partnership will 'help remove the worst of the worst out of our country.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The Speedway Slammer 🏁 — Homeland Security (@DHSgov) However, the Indiana deal doesn't involve construction. Federal funds will be used for space at the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, roughly 75 miles (120.7 kilometers) north of Indianapolis. The prison's total capacity is 3,100 beds, of which 1,200 are not filled, according to Indiana Department of Correction spokeswoman Annie Goeller. Officials did not say when the detentions would start. 'Details about the partnership and how IDOC can best support those efforts are being determined,' Geoller said. The deal is part of the decades-old Advertisement The Florida detention facility has prompted lawsuits and complaints about Immigrant rights activists and legal advocates were worried about the sudden increase of immigrant detention in Indiana. Issues with overcrowding and sanitation have been reported at the three county jails that house immigrant detainees. 'We are deeply concerned and disturbed by the dramatic expansion in Indiana, but also by the cavalier way they are approaching this, by applying alliterated names as if this makes it somehow less cruel,' said Lisa Koop with the National Immigrant Justice Center. The organization helps provide legal services to immigrants in Indiana and other places. Republican Gov. Mike Braun first announced the federal partnership on Friday, calling a way to enforce the country's 'most fundamental laws.' 'Indiana is not a safe haven for illegal immigration,' he said. President Trump toured the newly-constructed area for a detention camp nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz" with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, on July 1. DOUG MILLS/NYT Pushback to a borrowed name The outlandish name quickly drew backlash, notably from the town of Speedway, an Indianapolis suburb which is home to the iconic racetrack that hosts the Indianapolis 500. 'This designation was developed and released independently by the federal agency, without the Town's involvement or prior notice regarding the use of the name 'Speedway,' ' officials with the Indiana town of roughly 14,000 said in a statement. 'Our primary focus remains the well-being of our residents, businesses, and visitors.' IndyCar officials were also caught off guard. 'We were unaware of plans to incorporate our imagery as part of announcement,' IndyCar said, asking that its intellectual property 'not be utilized moving forward in relation to this matter.' Advertisement The altered image used by DHS featured an IndyCar with the No. 5, the same number as the only Mexican driver in the series. 'I was just a little bit shocked at the coincidences of that and, you know, of what it means,' DHS officials were undeterred by the pushback, saying Wednesday they would continue promoting the plan with the name. 'An AI generated image of a car with 'ICE' on the side does not violate anyone's intellectual property rights,' DHS said in a statement. 'Any suggestion to the contrary is absurd.' President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday that he didn't name the facility. 'But I'll say this, the work of ICE, the men and women of ICE, are trying to do their job with integrity and honor,' he told reporters at the White House. 'I don't want these names to detract from that.' An aerial view of racing during the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27. James Gilbert/Getty Indiana embraces immigration enforcement Leaders in the Trump administration have already singled out Indiana as key to their immigration agenda. Braun, a first-term governor and former U.S. senator, has been a strong Trump supporter. In January, Braun signed an executive order directing law enforcement agencies to 'fully cooperate' on immigration enforcement. The nation's newest immigration court opened in Indianapolis earlier this year as a way to address the backlog and divert cases from the busy courthouse in Chicago. Federal and state leaders are also working on plans to use a central Indiana military base, Camp Atterbury, to temporarily house detainees. Advertisement 'Indiana is taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combating illegal immigration and will continue to lead the way among states,' Braun said in a statement Tuesday. Associated Press writer Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.
American Military News
3 days ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Pic: ‘Worst' illegal immigrants to be held at new ICE facility in Indiana, Trump admin says
The Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's administration will be opening a new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility at the Miami Correctional Facility located near Bunker Hill, Indiana. Officials said the 'worst of the worst' illegal immigrants will be held at the new facility. In a Tuesday press release, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that it is partnering with the state of Indiana to expand ICE's detention space by 1,000 beds at the Miami Correctional Center. The department noted that the new facility, which will be called the 'Speedway Slammer' will be used to house some of the 'worst criminal illegal aliens' as ICE continues to make widespread arrests as part of Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. '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 Governor Braun for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country,' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. '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.' READ MORE: 'Alligator Alcatraz' illegal immigrant detention center to open in Florida According to Tuesday's press release, the new Speedway Slammer ICE facility represents the second state partnership the Trump administration has secured to expand the agency's illegal immigrant detention space. The press release also noted that the new detention space for illegal immigrants comes after the president's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' provided funding for 80,000 new beds that can be used by ICE to detain and deport the 'worst of the worst' illegal immigrants. 'We are proud to work with President Trump and Secretary Noem as they remove the worst of the worst with this innovative partnership,' Gov. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) said. 'Indiana is taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combating illegal immigration and will continue to lead the way among states.' In addition to the press release, the Department of Homeland Security released a picture Tuesday on social media of an ICE race car on a race track with the Speedway Slammer in the background. The Speedway Slammer 🏁 — Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 5, 2025
