We've all seen the ads.
A flood of media spots spreading over TV, radio, billboards, and social media, all part of a $200 million fear campaign promoting "self-deportation," and fronted by a bellicose Kristi Noem.
At the end, she offers a stark ultimatum: take $1,000 cash and a return flight to your country of origin now. Or "be hunted down," while racking up $1,000 a day in fines a permanent ban on ever re-entering the United States.
Legal experts and immigrant rights advocates, both in Los Angeles and across the country, say this campaign undermines due process and could have severe consequences. They warn that accepting the offer may block any legal route back to the U.S. And now, they're even warning that using the campaign's app can risk exposing sensitive biometric data to federal databases.
Concerned about the impact on our communities, L.A. TACO spoke with two prominent immigrant advocates to clarify what is at stake.