If your music session got interrupted by a robotic voice urging you to “fulfill your mission” of rounding up undocumented immigrants, you're not alone. A new wave of bizarre Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ads have infiltrated streaming platforms like Pandora, Spotify, and even during the MTV VMAs!
The Trump administration is stirring controversy by spending a whopping $30 billion to hire 10,000 deportation officers by year-end, and these ads have become a part of it. Some ads even challenge police officers in sanctuary cities with promises of keeping families and cities safe.
Spotify's free plan users have been reporting these strange ads too. While some cut ties with Spotify, the platform's rep told Rolling Stone that the controversial commercials don't break any rules.
These recruitment pitches aren't just on Spotify. Fans have flagged similar ads across Hulu, Max, YouTube, and Pandora since April. Data from Equis, obtained by Rolling Stone, shows DHS spent millions promoting these ads across English and Spanish-speaking audiences, particularly on Meta and Google.
Despite the government shutdown, DHS kept the marketing machine running, increasing its YouTube ad spend from $292,000 in September to $332,000 in just three weeks of October. How's that for a plot twist?
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin didn't shy away, confirming the massive budget and stating, “Nothing will slow us down from recruiting more officers.” As chilling as it sounds, it looks like this operation will play on, whether we like it or not.