CREW requests records on DHS recruitment spending on Truth Social

CREW filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for all invoices and communications relating to advertising ICE recruitment efforts through social media, including Truth Social. 

Truth Social is owned by Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., in which President Trump has an ownership interest through a trust. Given President Trump’s financial interest in Truth Social, taxpayers deserve to know how platforms were selected and the extent to which they have received taxpayer funds. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking to increase its ranks and has increased its recruitment efforts for ICE. The agency is turning to incentive strategies ranging from student loan repayment programs to signing bonuses, and is advertising these benefits to potential recruits across numerous social media platforms, including Truth Social. 

The agency is spending significantly on an extensive recruitment campaign, including advertising on social media platforms, including Truth Social. 

The requested records will inform the public of how DHS is spending taxpayer dollars to achieve the drastic staffing increase for which Congress appropriated nearly $30 billion. Americans deserve transparency into how much taxpayer money is being spent on this effort, to whom those funds are being paid and how DHS has determined both the content of its advertisements and the platforms on which to advertise.