Great Report : Homeland Security Shuts Down Claim That Secretary Kristi Noem Is Backing Reality Show Where Immigrants Compete for…. read more
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Homeland Security Shuts Down Claim That Secretary Kristi Noem Is Backing Reality Show Where Immigrants Compete for Citizenship
“This is completely false,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said
By Madison E. Goldberg Updated on May 17, 2025 03:15PM EDT
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South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks before former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio
Kristi Noem in March 2024.
Credit : KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images
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Secretary Kristi Noem did not back a reality show in which immigrants would compete for United States citizenship, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
“This is completely false,” the organization said in a statement on May 16
Producer Rob Worsoff, who previously worked on Duck Dynasty, told The Wall Street Journal that he had discussions with members of the DHS about the show idea
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shut down a report that Secretary Kristi Noem backed a reality show in which immigrants would compete for United States citizenship.
The DHS issued a statement relating to the proposed television series on Friday, May 16. Titled “FAKE NEWS FRIDAY: DHS Torches Latest Media Hoax,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote, “This is completely false. Daily Mail’s ‘reporting’ is an affront to journalism. Secretary Noem has not ‘backed’ nor is even aware of the pitch of any scripted or reality show.”
McLaughlin, who is currently working under President Donald Trump’s administration, continued, “DHS receives hundreds of television show pitches a year, ranging from documentaries surrounding ICE and CBP border operations to white collar investigations by HSI.”
“Each proposal undergoes a thorough vetting process prior to denial or approval. This pitch has not received approval or rejection by staff,” she added.
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The Daily Mail initially reported that Noem, 53, was “backing” the proposed series on Thursday, May 15.
That report came after producer Rob Worsoff, who previously worked on Duck Dynasty, told The Wall Street Journal that he had discussions with members of the DHS about the show idea. The outlet reported that Worsoff said he received “positive” feedback from Trump officials about the pitch.
“This isn’t The Hunger Games for immigrants. This is not, ‘Hey, if you lose, we are shipping you out on a boat out of the country,’ ” Worsoff, who immigrated to the U.S. from Canada himself, told the WSJ, adding that the series would test contestants’ knowledge about a variety of American topics.
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Worsoff said the reality show was also previously pitched to the DHS under the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, but both passed.
President Donald Trump speaks during a fundraiser for Republican gubernatorial hopeful Kristi Noem in Sioux Falls, S.D., Friday, Sept. 7, 2018.
Donald Trump and Kristi Noem in September 2018.
Susan Walsh/AP Photo
The Trump administration continues to attract criticism tied to its handling of immigrants in recent months.
With mass raids on immigrant communities done by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the deportation of several U.S. citizens to prisons in South America, the government has also implemented controversial plans, such as listing Latino immigrants as “dead” in the Social Security database, suggesting that they might be inclined to “self-deport” if benefits are cut off.
ICE has also been accused of arresting the wrong people while attempting to round up immigrants for deportation.
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