Home/cascade-timeline/DHS Launches $200M "Stronger Border, Stronger America" Ad Campaign at Trump's Direction

DHS Launches $200M "Stronger Border, Stronger America" Ad Campaign at Trump's Directiontimeline_event

corruptionpropagandatrump-administrationno-bid-contractsdhsadvertisingself-deportationice-recruitment
2025-02-17 · 2 min read · Edit on Pyrite

type: timeline_event

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced a "nationwide and international multimillion-dollar ad campaign" warning undocumented immigrants to "self-deport" or face deportation. At CPAC, Noem confirmed Trump "personally directed" both messaging and execution: "President Trump talked to me several times during the transition. He said, 'I want you to do those for the border, and I want them around the world.'"

Campaign Messaging:

  • "If you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return."
  • "Criminal aliens... will be hunted down and deported."
  • Three ads conclude: "Thank you, President Donald J. Trump for securing our border and putting America first."

    • Budget and Contracts:

  • Initial budget: $200 million over two years
  • DHS bypassed competitive bidding by citing "national emergency"
  • Safe America Media (Delaware LLC created days before contract): $143 million
  • People Who Think (Louisiana, connected to Trump 2016 campaign): $77 million
  • The Strategy Group (hidden subcontractor, CEO married to DHS spokesperson): unknown amount

    • Corruption Network: DHS invoked emergency powers to award contracts without competitive bidding to firms with direct ties to Trump's inner circle. Safe America Media was incorporated days before receiving the contract and wasn't registered in the federal contractor database (SAM.gov). Co-founder Jay Connaughton of People Who Think had worked with Corey Lewandowski (Noem's de facto chief of staff). The Strategy Group's involvement was hidden from all public documents—its CEO Ben Yoho is married to Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS Assistant Secretary whose office funds the contracts.

    Scale: By October 2025, the campaign became 2025's most expensive political ad campaign ($51M+ spent). DHS ad spending increased 300% from FY2024, making it the top spender among all nondefense agencies. Contracts expanded to $440 million projected through 2027.

    ICE Recruitment Component ($15M): The campaign included "Call of Duty"-style recruitment videos targeting gun show attendees, UFC viewers, and "patriotic podcast" listeners. Messaging urged recruits to "protect your homeland and defend your culture." Result: 150,000+ applications, ICE workforce doubled from 10,000 to 22,000 agents—many recruited through aggressive demographic targeting that critics said "would only attract MAGA radicals."

    Federal contracting expert Charles Tiefer: "It's corrupt, is the word... playing hide the salami with the taxpayer."