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Appropriations members question DHS ad contracts after committee flags consultants' awards

3211577 · May 7, 2025

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AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Committee members asked why DHS awarded advertising contracts to private firms and whether the buys served public-information goals or political messaging; DHS denied the total sums reported and said the ads also run internationally to deter migration.

A senior appropriations member raised concerns about DHS advertising contracts and asked whether taxpayer funds were being used to produce political messaging that featured Department officials.

The ranking member said the administration had purchased ad buys and asked for contract documentation, naming two companies that had received awards in the millions: an $11.6 million award to a firm described in testimony as People Who Think and a separate $35.5 million award to Safe America Media. The member described a reported $200 million campaign and quoted remarks attributed to the president saying, "I want you in the ads. I want your face in the ads. ... I want you to thank me for closing the border." The ranking member called the buys "a perfect example of wasteful government spending."

Secretary Noem disputed the $200 million figure during the hearing and said the ads are being run in other countries as part of a deterrence and messaging campaign aimed at reducing migration and that the administration's work could not be fully covered by domestic news outlets. Noem offered to provide contract details to the committee and said the ad strategy was intended to reduce flows by changing behavior abroad.

Why it matters: Members asked whether the contracts were competitively awarded and whether the department properly used appropriated CBP and USCIS funds for the purchases. The committee requested procurement documentation and a clear accounting of which appropriations lines funded the campaigns.

Next steps: DHS agreed to follow up with procurement records and with an accounting of funding sources for the campaign. The committee signaled it will review contracts for compliance with procurement rules and restrictions on political activity.