ICE Ads Have Taken Over the Biggest Streaming Services

If a chilling voice asking you “to fulfill your mission” of rounding up undocumented immigrants has suddenly started playing during your streaming sessions, you’re not alone.

In recent months, many online users have noticed a sharp increase in recruitment ads from the Department of Homeland Security across platforms like Pandora, Spotify, and Max — and even during September’s MTV VMAs.

This new wave of advertising, which has sparked heavy criticism online, follows the Trump administration’s $30 billion allocation to recruit at least 10,000 additional deportation officers before the year ends, according to The Associated Press. “You took an oath to protect and serve, to keep your family, your city, safe,” says the narrator in one ad directed at local police officers. “But in sanctuary cities, you’re ordered to stand down while dangerous illegals walk free.”

By mid-October, Spotify users on the free ad-supported plan reported hearing the same type of ads on the platform, prompting some to cancel their subscriptions. A Spotify spokesperson told Rolling Stone that the DHS commercials were part of a “broad campaign” by the agency and did not violate the company’s advertising rules.

However, the recruitment campaign has extended far beyond Spotify. Users have reported spotting the ads on Hulu, Max, YouTube, and Pandora as early as April, voicing similar concerns about their content.

According to fresh data from Equis shared with Rolling Stone, the DHS has spent about $2.8 million on English and Spanish-language advertising through Meta’s Facebook and Instagram since March 1, along with another $500,000 on ICE recruitment ads since August.

On Google and YouTube, the agency spent nearly $3 million targeting Spanish-speaking audiences with self-deportation messaging. Although there’s no verified tracking for ad spending on Spotify or Pandora, an industry insider told Rolling Stone that Spotify received approximately $74,000 from the DHS for ad placements — less than three percent of what was spent on Google and Meta.

The updated figures, released on Nov. 11, add to earlier ad-tracking data from Equis and Priorities USA showing that the Trump administration allocated more than $10 million for DHS and ICE advertising.

“We’re seeing that some of these campaigns have actively started during October, clearly after the shutdown started, which is key to this story,” Natalia Campos Vargas, deputy research director for messaging at Equis, explained to Rolling Stone. “During the government shutdown, when employees are being furloughed, these agencies are still spending millions of dollars on TV and digital advertising.”

According to the Equis memo, the government even ramped up its ad spending during the shutdown. DHS increased its YouTube ad budget from $292,000 in September to $332,000 during the first three weeks of October alone.

In a statement to Rolling Stone on Nov. 2, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that the campaign funding came from this allocation, saying, “Hiring law enforcement officers is mission critical in order to fix the crisis the Biden administration manufactured by letting millions of criminal illegal aliens come into the country… Nothing will slow us down from recruiting more officers.”

On Pandora, a public community thread posted in May 2025 by a longtime user expressed frustration over what they called an “overwhelming number” of DHS ads, announcing their decision to cancel their subscription. The post has since gathered multiple comments from users sharing similar experiences.

“This is not a random glitch. It is the result of ad targeting that equates music preference with immigration status,” the user wrote. “Your platform appears to be allowing (or enabling) ads that racially and culturally profile users based on the language of the music they enjoy.”

In August, DHS confirmed to The Independent that its advertising would appear on YouTube, Max, Amazon Prime Video, X, LinkedIn, and several other digital platforms. On Reddit, users have discussed using VPNs to block the ads, while others decided to cancel their streaming subscriptions altogether. “It isn’t just the fact that they’re advertising, it is how AWFUL the ads actually are,” one Redditor wrote. “Forget the hateful bullshit, just the sheer stupidity of running that ad in Denver is fucking WILD,” another added.

Spanish-language outlets such as Univision and Telemundo have also aired ads featuring Kristi Noem, urging “illegal aliens” not to enter the country. “Join the mission to protect America with bonuses up to $50,000 and generous benefits. Apply now join.ice.gov and fulfill your mission,” says one version of the ad.

When contacted by Rolling Stone, McLaughlin maintained that there was “nothing offensive or partisan” about the ads, defending the campaign as a success. “The ICE recruitment campaign is a resounding success with more than 150,000 applications rolling in from patriotic Americans answering the call to defend the Homeland by helping arrest and remove the worst of the worst from our country,” she said.

Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported that DHS ad spending had exceeded $6.5 million, with placements in cities such as Seattle, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Miami, aimed at recruiting local law enforcement officers dissatisfied with their cities’ immigration policies.

Representatives for HBO, Pandora, and Hulu did not respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment, while YouTube declined to provide a statement.

This story was updated on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. ET to include new information on DHS and ICE ad spending across Spotify, Meta, and Google.