The ads, which have already aired in countries like Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and the US, are part of a $200 million project that will run over two years. The campaign was announced shortly after Noem took office, according to The Washington Post.
Mexico’s Congress is now working on a law that would ban the ads from airing on Mexican TV and radio. President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has so far built a good relationship with President Donald Trump, has criticized the ads. “Mexico stands for diversity, inclusion, and rights,” Sheinbaum said to the press earlier this week. “Our sovereignty must be respected.”
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the efforts are wokring: “The data shows the world is hearing our message. Border crossings have reached the lowest ever recorded,” she told The Washington Post. “Migrants are turning back before they even reach our borders.”
The ads will soon also be available in Mandarin, Spanish, Russian, Hindi, and Portuguese, and will be broadcast across both digital and television platforms, including massive spanish-language channels Univision and Telemundo.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this year, Noem explained that Trump had a direct role in shaping the campaign. “He said: ‘I want you in the ads, and I want your face in the ads,’” said the secretary. She added, “I want you to thank me for closing the border,” referring to the president’s instructions for the first ad.
The ads started appearing on YouTube in Mexico several weeks ago but gained wider attention after one aired during a soccer match broadcast on Televisa. One of the ads featured Noem warning, “If you come here and you break our laws, we will hunt you down."
The ads are delivered in English with Spanish subtitles.
Back in 2022, DHS also funded ad campaigns under the Biden administration that were intended for migrants in Guatemala and Honduras, warning about the dangers of human smugglers.
Border arrests hit a record high in 2023 but have dropped sharply in 2024. Analysts say its thanks to tougher US asylum policies and stronger enforcement measures in Mexico and Panama. Meanwhile, the Department of Government Efficiency under Elon Musk continues to slash federal funding and government jobs, even as the DHS spends millions on its migration messaging campaign.
