by DHS Considering Reality Show Where Immigrants Compete for U.S. Citizenship
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed that it’s in the early stages of reviewing a bold new idea: a reality TV show where immigrants would compete in challenges across the country for a chance to fast-track their U.S. citizenship.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, the concept was pitched by TV producer Rob Worsoff, best known for his work on Duck Dynasty. The show would feature celebrity immigrant hosts guiding contestants through various challenges, like clam digging in Maine or white-water rafting in Colorado.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin emphasized that the proposal is only in the beginning phases of consideration. She clarified that the department regularly receives pitches for TV shows—including documentaries and reality programs about immigration and border security.
“Secretary Kristi Noem has neither backed nor even reviewed this particular pitch,” McLaughlin said. “Every proposal, whether scripted or reality-based, goes through a thorough review process before we accept or reject it.”
Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, Worsoff made it clear the show wouldn’t be exploitative or cruel. “This isn’t The Hunger Games for immigrants,” he said. “It’s not, ‘If you lose, you’re getting shipped out on a boat.’”
Worsoff revealed that he originally pitched the idea years ago, during the Obama administration, but it didn’t move forward at the time.
Now, he’s calling the proposed show The American, which would also be the name of the train transporting contestants to different challenges around the country. A Canadian immigrant himself, Worsoff says the show is meant to be a celebration of the immigration journey and a platform to explore what it truly means to become American.
“I’m not pushing any political agenda,” he told the Daily Mail. “As an immigrant myself, I just want to create a show that honors the path to citizenship and sparks a national conversation about American identity—from the perspective of those who want it most.”
The DHS, especially under the Trump administration, has taken a more media-savvy approach than in the past. This includes everything from filming a video inside a Salvadoran prison warning migrants not to come to the U.S., to spending $200 million on a marketing campaign thanking President Trump for his immigration policies.
