The White House has denied a report that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem is backing a proposal for a reality TV series that pits immigrants against each other for the grand prize: a fast-track to U.S. citizenship.
According to a 35-page pitch obtained by DailyMail.com, the Department of Homeland Security has been in contact with reality TV producer Rob Worsoff – known for Duck Dynasty and Millionaire Matchmaker – on a show called The American. The show would take a dozen pre-vetted immigrants on a cross-country journey aboard a train, competing in “cultural” challenges like assembling a Model T Ford in Detroit, rolling logs in Wisconsin, and digging clams in Maine.
Contestants would be greeted in New York City at Ellis Island by “a famous, naturalized American who was also born in another country,” the pitch reads, with names like Sofia Vergara, Ryan Reynolds, and Mila Kunis floated as possible hosts. Each contestant would receive a personalized baseball glove before hitting the rails aboard “The Citizen Ship.”
“Along the way, we will be reminded what it means to be American – through the eyes of the people who want it most,” Worsoff’s pitch says.
There’d be elimination rounds, dramatic town halls, and viewer voting tallied by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services staff – yes, actual DHS employees, according to the proposal. The live finale would see the train stop in Washington, D.C., with the winner sworn in on Capitol Hill as Thunderbird jets roar overhead. “There won’t be a dry eye within 10 miles!” the pitch promises.
Game show prizes? Think red-white-and-blue Americana: 1 million American Airlines points, a $10,000 Starbucks gift card, or a lifetime supply of 76 gasoline.
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS’s top spokesperson, confirmed the department had a call with Worsoff last week. “I think it’s a good idea,” she said. Though she claimed Noem “is yet to be briefed,” DailyMail.com reports Noem supports the show and wants to move forward.
DHS Distances
That said, DHS on Friday confirmed that it had received the pitch – but a spokesperson denied the Mail‘s report that Noem was involved. In a statement to the Epoch Times, DHS Assistan Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the Mail‘s reporting “completely false,” and denied claims that Noem had either “backed” or “reviewed” the plan.
“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. -Epoch Times
Worsoff, a Canadian-born producer, 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.”
The proposal also includes themed challenges like mining for gold in San Francisco, launching rockets in Cape Canaveral, and rafting down the Arkansas River. “We’ll join in the laughter, tears, frustration, and joy – hearing their backstories – as we are reminded how amazing it is to be American,” the pitch reads.
Even the losers would have “a leg-up” in the naturalization process, the proposal notes.
For a secretary already accused of turning immigration enforcement into a branding exercise, The American is on-brand. Whether the public buys into her vision — or sees it as one more cringe photo op — remains to be seen.
Side note – the book ‘Running Man’ takes place in 2025…
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