Federal Immigration Enforcement Campaign Deploys Hollywood Tactics in Chicago

Nearly two months into President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign, federal authorities have launched a sophisticated media operation portraying Chicago as a city overrun by violent criminals and at war with the federal government.

The Department of Homeland Security’s social media feeds feature highly produced videos of military-style raids, complete with action movie soundtracks, agents in tactical gear, and dramatic arrests of what they term “criminal illegal aliens.” The content aims to build public support for enforcement efforts while recruiting more agents to the cause.

But experts say the government’s carefully crafted narrative doesn’t always reflect the reality on the ground in Chicago and its suburbs.

“By propaganda, what I mean is mass political persuasion,” says Nick Cull, a professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism who co-edited “Propaganda and Mass Persuasion: A Historical Encyclopedia.”

The campaign employs specific propaganda techniques: military imagery projecting government strength, hyperbolic descriptions of protests, promotion of strong leaders as the face of operations, and enlistment of social media influencers to amplify the message.

This messaging coincides with recruitment efforts that appeal to patriotism while demonizing immigrants. One DHS advertisement shows shadowy figures with swords in fog, urging Americans to “defend your hearth and home” because “the enemies are at the gates.” Another featuring Americana imagery declares “America is worth fighting for.”

Joan Donovan, a Boston University assistant professor and co-author of “Meme Wars,” notes these techniques target specific audiences: “They are filming these raids and then making these sizzle reels of apprehensions and grappling and long guns that are very exciting for young people to see and to feel a sense of duty and purpose.”

Hollywood-Style Production Values

A prime example is a video of a September 30 raid in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. The DHS production begins with helicopter sounds and flashlights illuminating an apartment building. Action music swells as agents in tactical gear storm the complex, smash doors, and emerge with handcuffed Latino men.

What the video doesn’t show: terrified residents describing flash grenades exploding in hallways, families including women and children pulled from apartments (some undressed), neighbors hiding a screaming 7-year-old girl and her mother, and U.S. citizens detained for hours.

Surveillance footage from a nearby school, obtained through public records requests, reveals DHS deployed at least nine camera operators in street clothes to film the entire operation, some wearing neon Department of Homeland Security Office of Public Affairs vests.

“It’s abhorrent to me to see taxpayer dollars being used in this way, in propaganda and show,” says Gil Kerlikowske, former commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which oversees Border Patrol. “DHS can’t burn barrels of cash fast enough” after receiving a funding boost from Congress this year.

Military Imagery as Messaging

Another high-profile raid in suburban Elgin demonstrates similar techniques. The video begins with Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” lyrics: “Load up on guns, bring your friends.” Agents led by Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem drive past Chicago’s skyline and Trump Tower – some hanging off truck exteriors – as if preparing for major military action.

An overhead helicopter view shows the target house before a sudden explosion blows open the front door. Electronic music builds as men are led out in handcuffs. The video doesn’t mention that two U.S. citizens were among those detained.

“There’s no operational need for any of these techniques,” Kerlikowske says. “This is all about showboating.”

Influencers Amplify the Message

Right-wing internet personality Benny Johnson, who has more than 12 million combined followers across social platforms, produced a 12-minute video starting with: “What’s up guys! Today, we’re going on an ICE raid with Sec. Kristi Noem through Chicago.”

Johnson, who lives in Florida, begins his day at Trump Tower with Noem before donning a Border Patrol vest during one raid. At the ICE facility in suburban Broadview, he describes daily protesters as “agitators” and a “terrorist element” without interviewing any of them, despite a federal judge expressing skepticism about DHS claims of violent protests there.

Another social media personality, Ben Bergquam, who has nearly 200,000 Instagram followers and contributes to Real America’s Voice, was granted rare access to ride with ICE officers and share their perspective. Bergquam, who has previously promoted the “great replacement theory,” helps DHS “borrow credibility” through trusted voices their audience identifies with, according to Cull.

Cult of Personality

Border Patrol commander Bovino has become the face of the operation, prominently featured giving military-style hand signals and posing for photos. Unlike other agents, his name is visible on his uniform. DHS social media portrays him as heroically “putting his life on the line to protect our citizens.”

Secretary Noem joins Bovino in carefully staged photo opportunities on Chicago rooftops and along the river. Together, they represent what Cull describes as main characters in a form of cosplay.

“The way that Kristi Noem has stylized herself over and over, you can get the feeling in some instances that you’re watching a movie,” Donovan notes, adding that Bovino is “explicitly playing the role of GI Joe.”

Cull sees troubling parallels to authoritarian systems: “In an authoritarian system, you have identifiable leaders, and the leaders have answers. So orienting towards leaders is one of the principles of this kind of politics. It’s a playbook that, to be 100% honest, I recognize from looking at Roman emperors rather than American presidents.”