IndyCar said they were not aware of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plan to release an AI-generated image of an IndyCar featuring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) branding.
The image was shared on DHS social media on Tuesday after the department’s announcement of a new immigration detention center 40 miles north of the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indianapolis 500.
In a statement to ABC News, the racing authority said that “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.”
MORE: Judge to consider halting operations at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ over environmental concerns
DHS didn’t immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on IndyCar’s response.
The image that was shared across DHS’s social media accounts shows a car sporting the number 5, the same number used by Mexican driver Pato O’Ward of McLaren. Neither O’Ward nor McLaren have commented on the image.
Nicknamed the “Speedway Slammer” by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the planned Indiana detention center would house 1,000 beds and is part of the administration’s broader push to “remove the worst of the worst,” Noem said.
In an interview with Fox and Friends on Wednesday, Noem teased that more centers would be announced soon, modeled after Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz,” which opened earlier this year and has been the subject of lawsuits and controversy.
