DHS Secretary Delivers Blunt Warning to Undocumented Immigrants in New Ad: 'We Will Hunt You Down'

The Trump administration launched a new multimillion-dollar media campaign urging undocumented immigrants in the United States to self-deport immediately or face daily fines, imprisonment, and removal.

In the ads, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem delivers a blunt message while images from deportations run behind her. "If you are here illegally, you're next," Noem says. "You will be fined nearly $1,000 a day, imprisoned, and deported. You will never return."

"President Trump and I have a clear message to those in our country illegally: LEAVE NOW," Noem adds. "If you do not self-deport, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and deport you."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed in a statement that the ads are meant to expose "the heinous crimes of criminal illegal aliens" and promote the use of the CBP Home app to facilitate voluntary self-deportation.

The CBP Home app, formerly known as CBP One under the Biden administration, was initially developed to help migrants apply for asylum from outside the U.S. Under the current administration, however, the app has been repurposed. Those who have already downloaded it will receive an automatic update enabling DHS to track their location in order to ultimately deport them.

President Trump released a similar video last month, framing self-deportation as a choice between "the easy way" and "the hard way." He warned that those forcibly removed would be permanently barred from reentering the United States. "Do it wrong, and you'll never be back again," Trump said.

DHS has vowed to spend $200 million on national and international ads to communicate its intentions to illegal immigrants in the U.S., as The Washington Examiner explains. The new campaign includes 30- and 60-second video ads that will run nationwide and internationally, in multiple languages and across platforms, including social media, television, and digital channels. he ads are also targeted toward an international audience to deter any migrant from attempting to cross into the United States illegally.