On a muggy Thursday in August 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rolled out a recruitment campaign that quickly set social media abuzz—and not just for its intended message. The official DHS video, posted to X (formerly Twitter), paired footage of brand-new, souped-up Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicles with the thumping beat of DaBaby’s hit song “TOES.” The vehicles, Ford Raptors and GMC Yukon SUVs, gleamed as they cruised through the streets of Washington, D.C., their exteriors sporting the same color scheme as former President Donald Trump’s private jet, complete with ICE’s logo and the bold slogan: “Defend the Homeland.”
But it wasn’t just the eye-catching paint jobs or the rap soundtrack that drew attention. Plastered across the back window of at least one truck, in unmistakable gold letters, was the phrase “President Donald J. Trump.” As the video’s caption declared “Iced out,” viewers were directed to ICE’s job recruitment website, where the agency is seeking to hire an ambitious 10,000 new officers. According to Rolling Stone and The Washington Post, this was no ordinary government recruitment drive—it was a public relations spectacle, backed by a flush of new funding and a clear political message.
Federal procurement data reviewed by both Rolling Stone and The Washington Post revealed that, in the two weeks leading up to the video’s release, the Trump administration spent $384,000 on the new trucks and SUVs specifically for recruitment purposes. If that wasn’t enough, an additional $182,000 went toward “graphic wrap design and application for law enforcement vehicles” just this week. The total bill for these rolling billboards? A cool $566,000, all in the name of attracting new ICE agents.
This spending spree comes on the heels of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” Trump’s signature piece of legislation that delivered tens of billions of dollars to DHS. The law, described by Rolling Stone as a measure to “slash taxes for the rich and health care for the poor,” also earmarked vast sums to supercharge ICE’s recruitment and enforcement efforts. The agency, now flush with cash, is working toward hiring thousands of new agents from coast to coast, intensifying what critics have called the president’s “militarized immigration crackdown.”
For the Trump administration, the recruitment trucks are just the latest in a series of high-profile, high-dollar moves to boost ICE’s public image and operational might. In fact, the $560,000 spent on the vehicles and their flashy wraps pales in comparison to other recent expenditures. DHS is currently spending a staggering $200 million on ads thanking Trump for deporting immigrants—ad buys placed by the same firm that handled much of Trump’s 2024 campaign advertising, according to Rolling Stone. And earlier this year, the administration shelled out up to $45 million for a military parade through Washington, D.C., on the president’s birthday. It’s a dizzying display of government spending, all aimed at cementing Trump’s hardline immigration legacy and rallying support among both would-be ICE agents and the broader public.
The recruitment video’s choice of soundtrack was no accident, either. DaBaby, a known Trump supporter, lends his track “TOES” to the campaign. As the rapper’s lyrics play—“My heart so cold I think I’m done with ice… Better not pull up with no knife / ’Cause I bring guns to fights”—the ICE vehicles roll past the White House and the U.S. Capitol, blurring the line between law enforcement and political theater. The video’s aesthetic, from the gold lettering to the militaristic slogans, is unmistakably Trumpian.
Not everyone is impressed. Social media reactions ranged from disbelief to outrage, with many users criticizing the blending of pop culture, politics, and law enforcement. As The Washington Post noted, “Prior to the Trump administration there were a few phrases that America would never see together: Department of Homeland Security and DaBaby. And yet, here we are.” The spectacle of government agencies spending hundreds of thousands on custom trucks and recruitment hype videos, especially in a time of cuts to other social programs, struck some as tone-deaf at best.
Indeed, the spending priorities have not gone unnoticed. As Rolling Stone and The Washington Post both report, the Trump administration has made significant cuts to Medicare, pediatric cancer research, and food stamps. Against that backdrop, the $560,000 spent on trucks and wraps for social media ads seems particularly jarring. Critics argue that the administration’s willingness to pour money into ICE recruitment and public relations, while slashing funds for health care and social services, reveals its true priorities.
Yet for Trump and his supporters, the message is clear: immigration enforcement is a top priority, and no expense will be spared to build what they see as a stronger, more secure homeland. The recruitment push, complete with “Defend the Homeland” emblazoned on the vehicles and the president’s name in gold, is meant to signal both strength and resolve. The DHS’s X thread even declares, “We will have our country back,” echoing familiar campaign rhetoric.
The Big Beautiful Bill, which made all this possible, has been a lightning rod for controversy since its passage. While supporters tout its massive investments in law enforcement and border security, detractors point out its deep cuts to social safety nets and its emphasis on militarizing immigration policy. The bill’s billions have enabled the current recruitment blitz, allowing ICE to ramp up hiring and expand its presence nationwide. For some, it’s a necessary response to what they see as a crisis at the border; for others, it’s an alarming escalation of government power and spending.
As the trucks continue to roll through D.C.—and the recruitment ads saturate the airwaves—one thing is certain: the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement is as bold, brash, and polarizing as ever. Whether the strategy will succeed in attracting the thousands of new agents ICE is seeking remains to be seen. But for now, the spectacle of gold-lettered trucks, rap anthems, and multimillion-dollar ad campaigns has ensured that the debate over America’s immigration policy is front and center once more.
In a city where symbolism often speaks louder than words, the sight of ICE’s new fleet—decked out in Trump’s colors and slogans—serves as a striking reminder of the administration’s priorities and the ongoing battle over the nation’s identity and future.
