The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that it is in the early stages of reviewing a possible reality show in which immigrants compete for a fast track to citizenship.
According to the Daily Mail, producer Rob Worsoff, the creator of “Duck Dynasty,” approached the department about the concept, in which celebrity immigrant hosts welcome immigrants who then compete in competitions across the country, such as digging clams in Maine or rafting in Colorado.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that the show is “in the very early stages” of the vetting process, noting that the department receives numerous requests to participate in television programming.
“Secretary [Kristi] Noem has not ‘backed’ or reviewed the pitch for any scripted or reality show. The Department of Homeland Security receives hundreds of television show pitches each year, including documentaries about border agents, she said. “Each proposal undergoes a thorough vetting process prior to denial or approval.”
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Worsoff stated that “this isn’t ‘The Hunger Games’ for immigrants.”
“This is not, ‘Hey, if you lose, we are shipping you out on a boat out of the country.'”
He also told the outlet that he pitched the idea as far back as the Obama administration, but the project did not take off.
Worsoff, who emigrated from Canada, told the Daily Mail that the show would be titled “The American,” which was also the name of the train that would transport them across the country for the various competitions.
“I am not affiliated with any political ideology. As an immigrant myself, I am simply trying to create a show that celebrates the immigration process, what it means to be American, and sparks a national conversation about what it means to be American, as seen through the eyes of those who want it the most,” he told the Daily Mail.
Under the Trump administration, DHS has taken a different approach to media than previous administrations, with Noem filming a video from a Salvadoran prison warning migrants not to come to the United States and spending $200 million on an ad campaign thanking President Trump for his border actions.
