By Kari Jacobson
FAIR
On February 17, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a multimillion-dollar ad campaign warning illegal aliens to leave or face deportation and warning foreign criminals not to enter illegally. The ads, part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to enforce our immigration laws, will be broadcast across numerous media platforms domestically and internationally – including radio, broadcast, social media and text message – and will be streamed in various languages.
Since the campaign’s announcement, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has emphasized its importance in deterring illegal immigration and keeping Americans safe from criminal illegal aliens. Speaking to Fox News, Homeland Security Secretary Noem said the ads send the rest of the world a strong message: “Don’t come here. We don’t want illegals. We don’t want criminals. That America is a place where you come to pursue the American Dream and that this president will always put Americans first.”
The domestic ad focuses on advising illegal aliens residing in the United States to self-deport. If aliens fail to leave voluntarily, Noem vows that DHS will find them, deport them, and ensure they never return to the United States. On the other hand, the Secretary says that those who self-deport may be able to return to the country. She closes the ad by emphasizing that, “Under President Trump, America’s borders are closed to lawbreakers. Follow the law, and you’ll find opportunity. Break it, and you’ll find consequences.”
The international ad aims to deter those abroad from entering the country illegally. Secretary Noem makes it clear that if aliens unlawfully cross our borders, DHS will ensure that they are removed and never return. Noem also emphasizes that the Trump administration is putting an end to the open borders that caused a wake of devastation and crime in communities across the country. Instead, Noem states that DHS has a renewed focus on “defending American families and restoring their safety.”
