The Trump administration’s appropriation of imagery from the Halo franchise to support various political initiatives—most notably the actions of ICE in detaining alleged undocumented immigrants—has drawn significant criticism, including pointed remarks from key figures involved in the game’s creation.

Jaime Griesemer, a designer at Bungie for over a decade who contributed to all Halo titles up until Halo: Reach, expressed his strong disapproval. He stated, “Utilizing Halo visuals in a campaign that advocates for harming individuals based on their immigration status crosses a serious line and should disturb every fan of the franchise, regardless of their political beliefs. Personally, I find it appalling. The Flood, as a concept, symbolizes a destructive force, not any real-world demographic.”

His comments were in response to a controversial image shared by the Department of Homeland Security, which depicted two Spartans in a Warthog racing across a Halo ring, accompanied by the phrase “Destroy the Flood” and an appeal to support ICE. The implications of this message were quite clear.

Additionally, Marcus Lehto, co-creator of Halo and the lead designer behind the iconic character Master Chief, expressed his dismay, remarking that the misuse of Halo in this context is deeply unsettling. He described the DHS’s imagery as “truly abhorrent.”

Earlier this week, both Lehto and Griesemer had commented on the recent remake of the Halo 1 campaign, expressing confusion over some design choices in that project. This remake has been connected to the uptick in AI-generated imagery linked to Halo utilized by the Trump administration.

As of now, Microsoft, the owner of the Halo brand, has remained notably silent regarding this controversial use of their intellectual property. This lack of response echoes the inaction witnessed when the Trump administration previously incorporated Pokémon into their social media efforts, suggesting a trend that allows the administration to leverage popular franchises without apparent consequence. The latest development sees this approach extending to other iconic franchises, such as The Lord of the Rings.