DHS defends ad blitz amid Senate scrutiny, says campaign drove 2.2M self-deportations and saved taxpayers $39B

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem faced Senate criticism over a $200 million ad campaign that deputy assistant secretary Lauren Bis claimed prompted 2.2 million illegal immigrants to self-deport.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.

However, Bis said the campaign, filmed in October at Mount Rushmore, was well worth the cost and resulted in millions of self-deportations and billions of taxpayer dollars saved. She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.

"Sanctuary politicians are attacking this ad campaign because it has been successful in CLOSING our borders and getting more than 2.2 million illegal aliens to LEAVE the U.S.," Bis said. "The DHS domestic and international ad campaign was the most successful ad campaign in U.S. history. The results speak for themselves: 2.2 million illegal aliens self-deported, and we now have the most secure border in American history."