By Michelle Hackman and Elizabeth Findell
The Department of Homeland Security is considering the creation of a television show in which migrants would compete for potential U.S. citizenship.
Department spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said she had spoken to a producer of the proposed television reality show, which was earlier reported by the Daily Mail. But McLaughlin denied the Daily Mail's contention that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was actively supporting the project.
"Secretary Noem has not 'backed' or even reviewed the pitch of any scripted or reality show," McLaughlin said.
Still, McLaughlin indicated that consideration of the proposed reality show was ongoing, saying it was "in the very beginning stages of that vetting process."
The department she said receives hundreds of pitches a year for potential television shows, ranging from documentaries about border security operations to programs about white collar investigations.
Noem's tenure as the department's head has been marked by a made-for-TV style that has prioritized publicity -- at times at the expense of operations, The Wall Street Journal previously reported. The department has earmarked more than $200 million for an ad campaign featuring Noem telling immigrants in the country illegally to go home.
On a recent trip to the El Salvador superprison where the Trump administration has incarcerated hundreds of men without due process, Noem posed in front of the prisoners sporting perfectly-styled curls and a $50,000 Rolex watch.
The Daily Mail reported that the pitch for the proposed citizenship-competition show comes from Rob Worsoff, a producer and writer who worked on the "Duck Dynasty" hunting reality show. Worsoff didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Daily Mail reported that McLaughlin said the show was "a good idea." She told the Journal that no decision has been made.
"Each proposal undergoes a thorough vetting process prior to denial or approval," she said.
Write to Michelle Hackman at michelle.hackman@wsj.com and Elizabeth Findell at elizabeth.findell@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 15, 2025 22:59 ET (02:59 GMT)
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