The fine line between entertainment and politics has completely disappeared.
Users of popular streaming services, including Spotify and HBO Max, have expressed concerns following Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ads appearing on their platforms, urging users to “fulfill their mission” by removing the “millions of dangerous illegals [that] are rampaging the streets.
The ads specifically target young people, former law enforcement officers, and military veterans—groups that align with Trump’s broader goal of criminalizing immigrants and come as the latest symptom of Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, fueled by xenophobia and hateful rhetoric.
By offering $50,000 signing bonuses and student loan forgiveness, cancelling all or part of an applicant’s student debt, ICE exploits economic insecurity to recruit individuals into roles that sustain a system of state violence. This recruitment strategy not only preys on financial vulnerability but also works to normalize participation in that violence.
Since taking office in 2025, Trump’s detained and deported over 200,000 immigrants. By allowing such advertisements, these companies are implicitly legitimizing a campaign of fear.
Forcing themselves into the eyes and ears of consumers on popular streaming services shows just how far ICE is willing to go to uphold their deportation scheme and legitimize themselves in the eyes of the American public. The language in the advertisements implies immigrants are dangerous criminals, when in reality, immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S. born citizens.
The ads dehumanize immigrants, urging users to help remove the supposedly dangerous immigrants. These fearmongering tactics portray immigrants as a threat, rather than people seeking asylum or opportunity.
By evoking imagery of chaos and danger, the ad campaign attempts to justify the mass detention of immigrants and seeks out individuals to help support their aims.
It’s deeply troubling to see platforms like Spotify giving space to these ads. Streaming services must take responsibility by adopting clear ad policies that reject content contradicting their stated values.
Spotify stated that these ads don’t violate company policy—but if that’s the case, the policy itself demands urgent reform. A company can’t profit from content that promotes state violence and still claim neutrality. By refusing to act, Spotify doesn’t remain impartial; it’s complicit in amplifying ICE’s agenda.
Questions of ethical advertisement could easily bleed into Canada, begging the question of whether the average media consumer would willingly boycott their preferred streaming service. Platforms that influence popular culture have a responsibility to ensure these spaces don’t amplify fear or normalize violence. It’s concerning to see media outlets becoming a vessel for propaganda, something we hope never becomes normal in Canada.
As the line between entertainment and indoctrination blurs, Americans and Canadians must decide whether convenience is worth the cost of complicity.
—Journal Editorial Board
Tags
HBO Max, ice, immigration, Spotify, Trump
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