Roblox Users Role-Play ICE Raids and Protests

Young users on the popular online gaming platform Roblox have begun role-playing as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, conducting virtual raids and sparking in-game protests against the agency, according to platform observers and social media videos that have garnered millions of views.

The activities, which have surged in recent weeks, primarily occur within private servers of Brookhaven, one of Roblox's most played role-playing games. Participants don virtual ICE gear to simulate raids on other avatars, while counter-protesters carry signs reading "We hate ICE" and similar messages, all adhering to Roblox's ban on expletives. Videos of these scenarios, shared widely on TikTok, highlight the blend of play and activism among children and teenagers, the platform's core audience.

This phenomenon echoes similar events last summer, when clips of ICE raid reenactments and protests surfaced on social media during nationwide "No Kings" demonstrations against heightened immigration enforcement. The current wave appears linked to a federal immigration operation in Minnesota, where agents have faced significant pushback from local protesters. Experts suggest the in-game...