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Noem Claps Back About Immigration Reality Show

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Kristi Noem
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pushed back Tuesday against claims that she endorsed a reality TV series offering immigrants a chance to compete for U.S. citizenship, calling the reporting behind it “completely inaccurate and false.”

The allegations stem from a May 15 article published by the Daily Mail, which stated that Noem had been “pushing” for a reality competition show where immigrants would “fast-track” their path to citizenship by participating in a televised series.

The outlet, citing unnamed sources, claimed Noem had supported the idea and that her staff was involved.

Appearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday, Noem was put in the hot seat about the story by Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut.

“Is DHS seriously vetting a reality show for immigrants to obtain U.S. citizenship?” Blumenthal inquired.

“Sir, we have no knowledge of a reality show,” she denied. “There may have been something submitted to the department, but I did not know anything about this reality show until the reporter reached out, we told him we have no knowledge of it, we don’t know what he’s talking about, and they still printed wrong information.”

She added that the Daily Mail “lied so bad” that the article had to be edited after publication.

“In that article, they had to change it later because they lied so bad and they had us on the record saying I had no knowledge of a reality show,” Noem told the committee. “That article was completely inaccurate.”

Noem made clear that neither or her staffers had been involved with the pitch.

“Me and my executive team have no knowledge of a reality show and it’s not under consideration,” she stated.

“Completely inaccurate and false and the fact they printed it when they knew it was false was a dereliction of their work.”

DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin issued a similar denial last week.

According to McLaughlin, “Secretary Noem has not ‘backed’ nor is even aware of the pitch of any scripted or reality show.”

She described the original reporting as “an affront to journalism.”

McLaughlin explained in her post that the Department of Homeland Security receives “hundreds of television show pitches a year,” ranging from documentaries about border enforcement to shows about white-collar investigations.

“Each proposal undergoes a thorough vetting process prior to denial or approval,” she added. “This pitch has not received approval or rejection by staff.”

The proposal in question reportedly came from Adam Worsoff, a Canadian immigrant and television producer.

Worsoff spoke to both The Daily Mail and The Wall Street Journal, describing a project he’s tentatively titled The American.

According to Worsoff, the series would follow twelve contestants traveling across the United States by train, visiting various regions and taking part in local challenges designed to highlight American culture and values.

He insisted that the show was not meant to trivialize immigration.

“This isn’t ‘The Hunger Games’ for immigrants,” Worsoff told the Journal. “This is not, ‘Hey, if you lose, we are shipping you out on a boat out of the country.’”

Celebrity hosts that are immigrants, including Sofia Vergara, Ryan Reynolds, and Mila Kunis, were mentioned as potential participants.

According to the pitch, the not-natively-born celebs would greet contestants with customized baseball gloves, a gesture symbolizing their welcome to American society.

Throughout the series, the immigrants would meet with “interesting Americans” and explore the diversity of the nation’s heritage.

The proposal claimed that viewers would “join in the laughter, tears, frustration, and joy – hearing their backstories – as we are reminded how amazing it is to be American, through the eyes of 12 wonderful people who want nothing more than to have what we have.”

The final episode, if the project came to life, would feature the winner taking the oath of citizenship on the steps of the Capitol.

“Along the way, we will be reminded what it means to be American – through the eyes of the people who want it most,” the pitch concluded.

“I’m not affiliated with any political ideology,” Worsoff commented. “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.”

He added that the idea had been floated in the past, even during the Obama administration, but never moved forward.

While Noem and her department categorically deny involvement, the Daily Mail followed up with claims that internal DHS communications suggest otherwise.

According to the outlet, documents reviewed by its reporters show that Noem, along with her de-facto chief of staff Corey Lewandowski and spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, were not only aware of the proposal but had offered their support.

The DHS has not confirmed the authenticity of these communications, and no official comment has been made regarding the reported internal exchanges.

As speculation lingers, the department’s official stance remains unchanged.

“Completely false,” according to McLaughlin, who reiterated that “Secretary Noem has not ‘backed’ nor is even aware of the pitch.”

Noem’s testimony before the Senate committee echoed that message with clarity, calling the entire report as a media failure.

“The fact they printed it when they knew it was false,” she told senators, “was a dereliction of their work.”

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