SENDING A MESSAGE — TO IMMIGRANTS AND FOX NEWS VIEWERS: A major federal ad campaign premised on encouraging people in the country illegally to leave is ramping up, with millions spent on advertising.
But the audience for some of the messaging is a lot broader than just undocumented immigrants, with President Donald Trump’s administration also broadcasting its tough-on-immigration stance to the voting public.
The initial ad push, launched in late February, included 30-second and 1-minute spots with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaking direct-to-camera. In both versions, she thanks Trump for “for securing our border and putting America first” while advising people in the country illegally that “we will find you and we will deport you.” (The longer version also takes a jab at “weak politicians” who “left our borders wide open.”)
The advertisements have aired across popular programs including “The Today Show” and “Good Morning America” — with a smaller number of spots on cable shows, including “The Five” and “Fox & Friends,” according to AdImpact data.
Last week, DHS began running a Spanish-subtitled version of the shorter ad across local TV stations in more than a dozen markets, including Chicago, New York City, Phoenix and several markets across Texas and California.
In total, DHS has spent $1.5 million so far on television, according to data from AdImpact, which tracks political advertising, with another $1.8 million in ads booked for the rest of March.
A subtitled Spanish video ad has also been running on Facebook and YouTube for the last few days, according to both platforms’ ad tracking services. DHS has paid at least $48,000 to Google as of Sunday, and between $10,000 and $15,000 to Meta, according to each platform’s data. Users in states with significant immigrant populations, led by California and Texas, have also been the most targeted online.
The ad campaign, announced in late February, comes as the Trump administration has faced logistical and funding challenges amid efforts to ramp up deportations. House Republicans’ spending measure released over the weekend would add money to support deportation efforts.
Happy Monday, hope everyone is waking up well after losing an hour of sleep this weekend. Find me at jpiper@politico.com or @jsscppr on X.
Days until the 2025 election: 239
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CAMPAIGN INTEL
MICHIGAN SHOWDOWN — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has a commanding lead over former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in a hypothetical Democratic Senate primary, per a Target Insyght poll for MIRS News. Both Whitmer and Buttigieg held a slight edge over former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) in a general election matchup, the poll found.
MAINE GOV — Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson formed an exploratory committee ahead of a possible gubernatorial run in 2026. Jackson, who hails from Allagash in the far northern part of the state and is popular with unions, is the highest profile Democrat so far to publicly express interest in replacing the term-limited Gov. Janet Mills. Other Democratic names floated include Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former House Speaker Hannah Pingree and 2nd District Rep. Jared Golden.
IN OTHER MAINE NEWS — Former Republican Gov. Paul LePage is “exploring” a run for Golden’s seat, per the Bangor Daily News’ Michael Shepherd. Trump won the district by 9 points last year.
IN BROOKLYN — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is gathering support among Brooklyn Democrats for his mayoral bid, POLITICO’s Sally Goldenberg and Jeff Coltin write, a blow to incumbent Mayor Eric Adams.
