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Original Date Announced
February 17, 2025DHS announced a domestic and international advertising campaign encouraging undocumented immigrants in the U.S. to "self-deport" and potential "criminal aliens" thinking of entering the U.S. to "stay away." The ads run on radio, broadcast, and digital in the U.S. and abroad. "Ads will be hyper-targeted, including through social media, text message and digital to reach illegal immigrants in the interior of the United States, as well as internationally."
Trump 2.0 [ID #1545]
2025.02.17 DHS Announces Ad Campaign Warning Illegal Aliens to Self-Deport and Stay OutSubsequent Trump and Court Action
March 11, 20252025.03.21 Reported: The White House hired Republican political firms to launch anti-migrant ad campaign - AP News
DHS awarded two "Republican-linked firms" the first part of the $200 million ad campaign. After first telling news outlets that "a competitive procurement process" awarded the campaign bid, a document in a federal database now cites President Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border as sufficient reason for bypassing the competitive-bidding process because of the "unusual and compelling emergency." The two firms are People Who Think, LLC - owned by a Trump 2016 campaign consultant and long-term advisor to DHS Secretary Noem - and Safe America Media, LLC, which was incorporated in Delaware days before being tapped for the ad campaign and is listed with an address tied to Republican consultant Mike McElwain.
View DocumentSubsequent Trump and Court Action
April 21, 20252025.04.21 DHS - DHS Releases New Nationwide and International Ads Warning Illegal Aliens to Self-Deport and Stay Out
DHS Secretary Noem announced new 30-second and 60-second ads warning undocumented immigrants that they could be fined, imprisoned, and deported. The ads direct undocumented immigrants to download and use the CBP Home app to voluntarily self-deport; they run on broadcast television and online, across the U.S. and internationally.
View DocumentCurrent Status
NoneOriginal Trump Policy Status
Status: Final/ActualTrump Administration Action: Change in PracticeAgencies Affected: DHSAssociated or Derivative Policies
- October 2, 2020 ICE puts up billboards in Pennsylvania featuring "at-large immigration violators"
- November 6, 2020 ICE puts up billboards in North Carolina featuring "at-large public safety threats"
- January 20, 2025 Proc. 10886: "Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States"
- January 20, 2025 EO 14159 § 12 Directs DHS, DOS, and DOJ to Encourage "Aliens Unlawfully Present in the United States" to Voluntarily Depart
- January 28, 2025 Reported: Immigration officers instructed to wear clothing that clearly depicts their agency for media coverage
Documents
Trump-Era Policy Documents
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Commentary
2025.04.16 Why the White House Started Making Deportation Cartoons - NYT
The New York Times analyzes the Trump administration's use of cartoons and social media to broadcast its immigration policies, including using AI to “Ghiblify” an image of a woman being detained and trends such as “ASMR” and popular soundtracks to accompany deportation-themed videos.
Go to article2025.04.22: Mexico’s President Punches Back Against Kristi Noem’s Anti-Migrant Ads - NYT
The New York Times reports that Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum called Secretary Noem’s ads “discriminatory,” asked Mexican broadcasters to remove them, and prompted Mexico’s Congress to ban similar foreign propaganda from appearing in Mexico. President Sheinbaum's administration has cooperated by deploying troops to prevent migrants from reaching the border, seizing fentanyl, and handing over cartel operatives to U.S. authorities. Her reaction to the ads "points to the limits to what her government is willing to accept from the Trump administration[.]"
Go to article2025.06.12 Trump’s Immigration P.R. Campaign Enters a New Militarized Phase - NYT
The New York Times reports on how the Trump administration launched an aggressive visual campaign to pressure undocumented immigrants to leave the U.S. and to discourage protests against mass deportations. Government social-media accounts have shared stylized imagery of ICE raids and National Guard deployments at protests, as well as World War II-style posters encouraging public participation in deportation efforts.
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