If a dystopian voice asking you to “accomplish your mission” to round up illegal immigrants has made its way into your airwaves, you're far from the only one.
Over the past two months, online users have reported seeing and hearing an increased number of outside recruitment advertisements. Department of Homeland Security on streaming services such as Pandora, Spotifyand Max – and even during the September MTV VMA.
The new publicity stunt, which has sparked backlash online, follows the Trump administration's $30 billion investment to hire at least 10,000 additional deportation officers by the end of the year, according to the report. Associated Press. “You took an oath to protect and serve, to keep your family, your city safe,” the narrator says in some of the ads aimed at local police officers. “But in sanctuary cities, you are ordered to stand down while dangerous illegals are released.”
Specifically, in mid-October, music listeners on Spotify's free, ad-supported plan reported hear similar advertisements on the platform and some decide to terminate their membership because of the advertisements. When contacted for comment, a Spotify spokesperson said: Rolling Stone that the DHS commercials were part of a “broad campaign” by the government agency and that they did not violate any advertising policies on the platform.
But recruitment advertisements have aired on numerous streaming platforms, with fans expressing concern about the ad on HuluMax, YouTube and Pandora, already in April.
According to new data from Equis acquired Rolling StoneSince March 1, DHS has spent a total of $2.8 million on English and Spanish-language ads on Facebook and Instagram Meta, and another half-million on ads in English and Spanish. ICE recruitment announcements on the platform since August.
On Google and YouTube, DHS spent nearly $3 million on Spanish-language ads promoting self-deportation. Although Equis cannot track ad spending data on Spotify, Pandora and other platforms, an industry source said. Rolling Stone that Spotify only received $74,000 from DHS for running its ads. This figure is less than three percent of what the government spent on Google and Meta.
The new data, released on November 11, follows ad tracking information from Equis and Priorities USA, which confirmed that Trump administration spent more than $10 million on advertising for DHS and ICE.
“We're seeing some of these campaigns take off strongly in October, clearly after the quarantine began, which is key to this story,” said Natalia Campos Vargas, associate director of messaging research at Equis. Rolling Stone last week. “During the government shutdown, as employees are furloughed, these government agencies are still spending millions of dollars on advertising on television and digital platforms.”
According to the memo, the government even increased advertising spending during the quarantine. Specifically, DHS increased its YouTube advertising spending, from $292,000 in September to $332,000 in just the first three weeks of October.
In a statement for Rolling Stone On November 2, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Trisha McLaughlin confirmed that funding was obtained through the bill and that “hiring law enforcement officers is critical to addressing the crisis the Biden administration has created by allowing millions of illegal alien criminals to come into the country… Nothing will stop us from hiring more officers.”
In a public Pandora community thread that began in May 2025, a user who said he had been a Pandora user for over 15 years said he was canceling his subscription due to the “overwhelming amount” of DHS advertising. The thread received repeated comments from more users who expressed their disappointment in receiving such advertising.
“This is not a random glitch. This is the result of targeted advertising that equates music preferences with immigration status,” the report said. user note. “It appears that your platform allows (or is allowing) advertising that racially and culturally profiles users based on the language of the music they like.”
In August, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed Independent that it will advertise on YouTube, Max, Amazon Prime Video, X, LinkedIn and other internet platforms. Some Topics on Reddit discussed people choosing to stream over a VPN without receiving ads, while others decided to cancel their subscriptions entirely. “It's not just what they advertise, it's how HORRIBLE these ads actually are,” one user wrote. “Forget all the hateful bullshit, just the sheer stupidity of running this ad in Denver is fucking wild,” another added.
Likewise, Spanish-language channels such as Univision and Telemundo also aired ads featuring Kristi Noem urging “illegal aliens” not to come to the country. “Join the mission to protect America with up to $50,000 in bonuses and generous benefits. Apply at join.ice.gov and fulfill your mission,” one ad reads.
When reached for comment, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Trisha McLaughlin said: Rolling Stone that there was “nothing offensive or prejudicial” in removing so-called criminals from the United States. “ICE's recruitment campaign has been a resounding success, with more than 150,000 applications from patriotic Americans who have answered the call to defend the homeland by helping to arrest and remove the worst of the worst from our country,” McLaughlin said.
Earlier this month, the AP reported that DHS ad spending had topped $6.5 million and that several major cities, including Seattle, Chicago, Washington and Miami, had launched commercials aimed at recruiting local officers unhappy with their cities' immigration policies.
HBO, Pandora and Hulu did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone'Please comment. YouTube left no comments.
This story was updated November 11 at 6:00 pm ET to include new data on DHS and ICE ad spending on Spotify, Meta and Google.
