US Politics
Dystopian ICE recruitment ads tell users to ‘fulfill your mission’ on Spotify, HBO Max and other streaming services
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Customers of many of the country’s most popular streaming services have expressed concerns after Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruitment ads appeared on their platforms.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed in August that it would launch an ad campaign via social media and streaming services to target young people, former law enforcement and veterans. The ads in question have already appeared on cable TV.
Now, Spotify users who do not have a premium plan have angrily reported receiving the ads in between music that encourage people to “join the mission to protect America” and “fulfill your mission” by applying to become an ICE agent.
“I was just trying to enjoy my music on Spotify… and I get an ad and it starts with ‘millions of dangerous illegals are rampaging the streets,’” a TikTok user said, adding that they deleted the app after hearing the ICE message.
“If these adds are not removed in short order I will be canceling my premium subscription (sic),” a disgruntled Spotify user wrote on an online forum.
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The ads, some of which specifically target disgruntled police officers in major cities such as Chicago or Seattle, offer recruits a $50,000 signing bonus, generous benefits and even student loan forgiveness.
They mirror similar advertising that has been seen on cable television, X, YouTube, LinkedIn and Meta.
A spokesperson for Spotify said the ads are “part of a broad campaign the U.S. government is running across television, streaming, and online channels.” The spokesperson added that the ads do not violate Spotify’s advertising policies, but that users can mark an ad with a thumbs up or down to manage preferences.
Dozens of HBO Max subscribers said on X that they saw ICE recruitment videos in between watching All Elite Wrestling.
Hangman Page, a professional wrestler signed to the promotion, encouraged viewers to report the ads to HBO Max and the cable channel, TBS.
Similarly, Hulu, ESPN and Pandora music subscribers have also claimed to receive the ICE recruitment ads.
On Pandora’s community forum, one user wrote, “I’m horrified and worried to be contacting you about hate speech I just heard in an ad on Pandora? I’m not really sure what else to say. This is unacceptable and I’m very sad to be reporting this.”
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The Independent has asked the Department of Homeland Security, Pandora, Hulu and HBO Max for comment.
Similar advertisements, including Spanish language versions, have been seen on cable television and across social media for some time.
It’s part of the department’s campaign to recruit more ICE agents as they seek to fulfill President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. The agency was struggling to arrest and detain the targeted number of undocumented immigrants per day, in part, due to staffing struggles.
The administration has spent more than $6 million on recruitment advertising.
Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for DHS, said that ICE has received “more than 175,000 applications” as a result of the ad blitz and DHS has “already issued more than 18,000 tentative job offers.”
McLaughlin added that the department’s “incentive processing,” such as signing bonuses, will continue during the government shutdown, which she blamed Democrats for. She said there was “nothing offensive or partisan” about removing what the administration believes are criminals from the country.
