The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed it received a pitch for a reality TV show in which immigrants compete for a chance to fast-track their American citizenship, and a spokesperson denied reports that Secretary Kristi Noem was involved.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the Daily Mail report “completely false” and denied claims that Noem “backed” or “reviewed” a scripted or reality TV show pitch.
“The Department of Homeland Security receives hundreds of television show pitches a year, ranging from documentaries surrounding ICE and CBP border operation to white collar investigations by HSI,” she said, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations.
TV show proposals undergo “a thorough vetting process prior to denial or approval,” McLaughlin said, adding that the reality TV “show in question is in the very beginning stages of that vetting process and has not received approval or denial by staff.”
Separately, McLaughlin told news outlets that she had spoken with the producer of the proposed reality show.
Worsoff has worked on a number of reality TV shows, such as “The Millionaire Matchmaker” and “Duck Dynasty,” over the years.
The idea for such a show had been pitched back during the Obama administration, Worsoff told the outlet. Proposals were sent to the Biden and Obama administrations, but no deal was made, he said.
“I’m not affiliated with any political ideology. As an immigrant myself, I am merely trying to make a show that celebrates the immigration process, celebrate what it means to be American and have a national conversation about what it means to be American, through the eyes of the people who want it most,” Worsoff, who is Canadian, told the Daily Mail.
The producer told the Journal, meanwhile, that he has had no interaction with Noem and doesn’t know if she is aware of the pitch. He said that DHS’s feedback to him has been positive.
If it’s confirmed, it wouldn’t be the first time that DHS worked with producers to create a TV show. Starting in 2012, National Geographic aired the “To Catch a Smuggler” documentary show that ran for eight seasons, depicting the work of CBP and HSI officials at several U.S. airports. Under the first Trump administration, a documentary called “Immigration Nation” showed footage of ICE agents’ work and was aired on Netflix.
President Donald Trump campaigned on immigration enforcement, and his administration has made mass deportations a cornerstone of its agenda since January. Last week, DHS announced it would pay $1,000 to illegal immigrants who are in the United States and choose to return to their home country voluntarily and would also pay for their travel.
