Optimus Prime has spent four decades as the leader of the Autobots. On Wednesday, he turned up with “ICE” across his chest in a federal immigration-enforcement post.
The Department of Homeland Security posted an AI-generated image on September 9 titled “Transformers: Age of Deportation,” a play on the 2014 movie Transformers: Age of Extinction. The familiar red-and-blue robot carried DHS insignia and an ICE marking across his truck-cab chest. By 3:15 p.m., the post had reached 3 million views on X.
A second DHS post paired Optimus Prime with immigration messaging aimed at commercial drivers. It showed him facing a brown, bearded man beneath “Self-deport or find out,” followed by, “America for Americans. Get off our roads; you don’t know how to drive Mr Singh.”
Less than a day later, Hasbro, which owns the Transformers brand, responded from its verified Instagram account. Peter Cullen, the voice most closely associated with Optimus Prime, died August 26 at 85.
Prime Directive
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Hasbro kept its response to three sentences.
“Optimus Prime is a beloved character who represents humility, leadership, compassion, and justice. Hasbro is aware of the recent posts using his likeness. These posts were done without permission and do not represent the Transformers brand or Hasbro.”
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The “Age of Deportation” image accompanied a quote-post about commercial driver’s licenses. DHS argued that people who are in the country illegally should not operate commercial vehicles and encouraged the public to report suspected immigration violations.
X labeled the poster “Made with AI.”
https://t.co/PfmZp21bxr
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 9, 2026
The “Mr Singh” image drew criticism from the Hindu American Foundation and the Sikh Coalition, which objected to the surname and depiction of a bearded man in the campaign. Other users defended DHS’s broader immigration-enforcement message.
Strong Enough to Be Gentle
Hasbro had written about Cullen and the character only days before the DHS posts.
Cullen voiced Optimus Prime across television, movies, games, and other Transformers projects dating to the original 1984 animated series. In an August 27 memorial, Hasbro wrote that he helped generations understand courage, sacrifice and leadership through the character.
Before Cullen auditioned for Optimus Prime, his older brother Larry Cullen, a Marine veteran who served in Vietnam, told him to be genuine and “strong enough to be gentle.”
In its memorial, Hasbro described the character Cullen created through compassion, dignity, and self-sacrifice.
Two weeks later, its response to DHS used a similar vocabulary: “humility, leadership, compassion and justice.”
Prime Principles
One of Optimus Prime’s best-known principles appeared repeatedly beneath Hasbro’s statement: “Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.”
Other commenters went deeper into Transformers mythology. The Autobots are sentient alien robots from Cybertron who eventually make Earth their home.
“Last time I checked Optimus Prime was literally the definition of an illegal alien,” one commenter wrote with laughing emojis.
Not everyone objecting to the image opposed immigration enforcement. One commenter wrote, “I like Ice but using the likeness of Optimus Prime is disrespectful and disgusting to see,” and specifically mentioned Cullen’s recent death.
Another response simply read, “Deport Them All !!”
Others focused on what Hasbro might do next. Variations of “Sue them” and calls for a cease-and-desist appeared repeatedly beneath the company’s statement.