House Democrats Launch Investigation Into DHS 'Vanity Project' Ads Praising Trump's Immigration Policies

House Democrats have launched an investigation into a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advertising campaign that praises former President Donald Trump's immigration policies, citing concerns over potential violations of federal spending rules and the awarding of contracts to firms with ties to the Trump campaign.

Lawmakers are specifically questioning the legality and intent behind the campaign, which cost up to $200 million and allegedly included contracts awarded without standard competitive bidding.

According to a letter sent by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the campaign was initiated at Trump's direction and involved "significant sums" to produce ads that "lauded the President's draconian immigration policies."

The letter, reported by The Hill, further alleges that DHS bypassed standard procurement procedures by invoking Trump's national emergency declaration at the U.S.-Mexico border to justify "an unusual and compelling urgency."

"Contrary to DHS's stated intent of the campaign, reports indicate that, at the express direction of President Donald Trump, DHS is paying significant sums to produce and distribute materials with the intent of lauding the President's draconian immigration policies," reads the letter.

Additionally it states that "in doing so, DHS appears to have evaded the competitive bidding process that ensures taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly, instead awarding this vanity project...to enrich Republican campaign consultants."

Federal records reviewed by The Associated Press on March 11 show that the DHS awarded contracts to two firms with Republican ties: People Who Think LLC, owned by Jay Connaughton, a former Trump campaign adviser, and Safe America Media LLC, linked to GOP consultant Mike McElwain. Notably, Safe America Media was incorporated just 11 days before the contract solicitation. One contract alone was worth $16 million.

The advertisements feature Noem standing before American flags and declaring, "thank you, President Donald J. Trump, for securing our border and putting America first." She adds: "If you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return."

While DHS stated that the ads are being broadcast both internationally and domestically in multiple languages, initial media buys included major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and Dallas, as well as a $30,000 allocation in West Palm Beach, Florida, when Trump was reportedly there. AdImpact data shows that over $2 million was spent on English-language placements compared to approximately $360,000 on Spanish-language ads.

Democratic lawmakers said the probe seeks to determine whether the campaign complied with federal regulations and restrictions on the use of taxpayer funds. "Given the significant costs of the advertising campaign, the questionable choices made in deploying the ads, and the awardees' relationships with President Trump...the Committees seek to ensure that the contracting process was fair, ethical, and compliant," Thompson and Connolly wrote.