The Trump administration is spending millions on ads aimed at recruiting new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The ads are so widespread that both TV viewers and social media users see them everywhere, including YouTube, Spotify, and LinkedIn.
In a recent ad seen on LinkedIn, a stern-faced Uncle Sam points at the viewer. The message says, “Join ICE today” along with the note “$50,000 signing bonus” at the bottom. Likewise, a 30-second television spot that originally aired during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards broadcast in September has been seen across the country in the months since. “You took an oath to protect and serve, to keep your family and your city safe,” the narrator says in the promo. “But in sanctuary cities, you’re ordered to stand down while dangerous illegals walk free.”
It’s hard to say what sets certain cities apart, but the call to action has specifically gone to Albuquerque, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, Sacramento, Seattle and Washington, DC. Most recently, the ads have been seen in Atlanta, Dallas, Miami and Salt Lake City, as well as San Antonio, Houston and El Paso, Texas, according to AP News.
The ads are part of the Trump administration’s $30 billion initiative to hire 10,000 more ICE agents by the end of the year. According to data from Equis, acquired by rolling stoneThe Department of Homeland Security has been spending millions to reach more and more Americans. DHS has spent about $2.8 million since March to keep ads running on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram. Since August, the agency has paid Meta another $500,000 to run recruiting ads. DHS also spent $3 million on Spanish-language Google and YouTube ads instructing people to self-deport. Ads have also run on Spotify and Pandora, but Equis did not have data on how much DHS spent on those ads.
Spending also didn’t stop or slow down during the government shutdown. According news weekDHS allegedly continued to throw money at ICE recruitment efforts while millions of workers were left without paychecks. During the three-week shutdown, ICE spent about $4.5 million on paid media. “Millions of people are at risk of losing their food stamps and are on the verge of going hungry due to this government shutdown,” said Natalia Campos Vargas, deputy director of research at Equis. news week At the moment. “But somehow the Trump administration, DHS and ICE are choosing to spend millions of dollars on advertising campaigns. That seems inherently wrong to me as a taxpayer.”
As ICE has ramped up its recruiting efforts, the backlash has gained momentum. On Dec. 11, lawmakers questioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about alleged wrongful deportations of U.S. citizens, including military veterans. Noem confronted people the agency allegedly deported. The secretary left the meeting early and was interrupted on his way out.
Meanwhile, anti-ICE ads that combat the pro-deportation narrative have also appeared on various platforms. In a Home of the Brave ad, Army veteran George Retes, a U.S. citizen, tells the story of his kidnapping by ICE.
“The driver’s side window breaks. An officer reaches in and sprays pepper in my face. They drag me out of the car. They throw me to the ground. They tie my hands behind my back,” Retes says in the video, which airs nationally on streaming platforms. “If they had looked at my ID, they would have seen that I am an American citizen, that I am a veteran… What is happening now is not right.”
Still, while many users may be uncomfortable with the rise of ICE ads online, the organizations that post them seem unfazed. A Spotify spokesperson said fast company that the ad is “part of a broader, well-documented US government campaign running across multiple platforms, including television, streaming, and online channels.”
The spokesperson added that users can control their advertising preferences. “Spotify is an open platform that supports a wide range of voices and perspectives, even those that some people may not personally agree with. That’s why we believe listener control is key to that balance and users can like or dislike specific ads, as well as update their ad preferences, including opting out of certain categories like government.”
While there has been an increase in calls for Spotify users to boycott the platform over ICE ads, as well as founder Daniel Ek’s investment in Helsing, a German defense company, the platform says there has been “no material impact in terms of cancellations.”
fast company He reached out to LinkedIn and YouTube regarding posting ICE recruiting ads, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.