DHS Runs Multi-Million-Dollar Streaming Ad Campaign in Latest Push to Ramp Up ICE Recruitment

The Department of Homeland Security has spent millions of dollars running recruitment and immigration-related ads for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across major streaming platforms, according to new reporting from Rolling Stone.

The campaign, which calls on users to "fulfill your mission," has appeared on Spotify, YouTube, Hulu, HBO Max, Facebook, Instagram, and Pandora.

According to advertising data reviewed by Rolling Stone, DHS and ICE have spent $2.8 million on Meta's Facebook and Instagram since March, and nearly $3 million on Spanish-language ads on Google and YouTube that officials said were designed to encourage "self-deportation."

Spotify in the meantime received $74,000 for ICE advertising, representing less than 3% of the total amount spent on Meta and Google platforms. However, the Spotify ads have prompted massive backlash from some users, who reported hearing the ads on free service and vowed to cancel subscriptions in protest.

A Spotify representative told Rolling Stone the ads were part of a "broad campaign" from DHS and did not violate the company's advertising policies.

In a public post on Pandora's community forum, one user said the frequency of the ads felt like "ad targeting that equates music preference with immigration status." Other users echoed similar concerns across social media, with some noting that VPNs could block the ads.

The Rolling Stone report found that DHS advertising increased during last month's government shutdown, rising from $292,000 in YouTube spending in September to $332,000 in the first three weeks of October. The outlet cited internal data from Equis Research showing that some ad campaigns specifically targeted police officers in so-called "sanctuary cities," urging them to join ICE.

"Hiring law enforcement officers is mission critical," said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement to Rolling Stone. She attributed the campaign to the Trump administration's goal of hiring 10,000 new deportation officers by the end of the year, funded through a $30 billion appropriation.

McLaughlin called the campaign a "resounding success," claiming more than 150,000 applications had been received. ICE's current job listings offer signing bonuses of up to $50,000 for new recruits.

The agency's ad spending across digital and broadcast media has now exceeded $6.5 million, with placements reported in major markets including Seattle, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Miami. DHS said the effort is aimed at "removing criminals" from the United States.