The US department of homeland security is considering to participate in a reality television show where immigrants would compete for a chance at American citizenship. The pitch, however, “has not received approval or rejection by staff,” DHS said.“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. Each proposal undergoes a thorough vetting process prior to denial or approval,” DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin told the Hollywood Reporter. According to The Wall Street Journal, the show — pitched by Canadian-American Rob Worsoff — would feature contestants competing to prove who best embodies the ideals of being most American. “This isn’t ‘The Hunger Games’ for immigrants,” WSJ quoted Worsoff saying. “This is not, ‘Hey, if you lose, we are shipping you out on a boat out of the country,'” he said.The proposed challenges might include a gold rush-style competition to extract precious metals from a mine and a team task to assemble a Model T chassis. The show would reportedly open with contestants arriving at Ellis Island — a symbolic gateway for generations of immigrants — and follow a familiar reality format, with one participant eliminated each episode, WSJ reported.The news comes against the backdrop of a broader immigration crackdown under US President Donald Trump, whose administration moved to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for multiple immigrant groups. Under federal law, TPS offers protections to foreign nationals who cannot safely return to their home countries due to war, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. Since taking office, Trump has pushed to revoke those protections for citizens of countries including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Venezuela. The effort — spearheaded by the department of homeland security — has included widespread immigration raids, arrests, and deportations.
