Overview

• The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched a multimillion-dollar ad campaign, spending over $500,000 on YouTube ads alone, to deter irregular migration by emphasizing deportation risks and linking migrants to violent crimes.
• The ads, featuring DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, have aired on U.S. digital platforms and Mexican broadcast TV during high-profile events, sparking backlash from Mexican officials.
• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has labeled the ads discriminatory and a violation of sovereignty, urging Congress to fast-track a law banning foreign government propaganda in domestic media.
• Critics, including human rights organizations, argue the campaign's rhetoric and tools, such as the CBP One app, lack transparency and raise ethical concerns about expedited deportations.
• DHS claims the ads are effective, citing record-low border crossings, but analysts question their actual impact and highlight strained U.S.-Mexico relations over the initiative.