Trump administration pushes back on claim ICE will be part of immigration reality show

Report says proposed series would see contestants ride across the US on a train and compete in regionally specific 'cultural' contests

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, centre, looks at the scans of a lorry that passed through a machine at the Mariposa-Nogales Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. AFP

The Department of Homeland Security has pushed back on a report that claims that Secretary Kristi Noem is involved in talks for a reality TV show in which immigrants compete against each other for US citizenship.

According to The Daily Mail, Ms Noem has been involved in the development of a show, outlined in a 35-page pitch, in which participants would compete “for the honour of fast-tracking their way to American citizenship”.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin acknowledged that “the show in question is in the very beginning stages of that vetting process and has not received approval or denial by staff”.

She went on to attack the journalistic credentials of the Mail reporter and said Ms Noem had not supported or even reviewed the pitch for the show.

“The Department of Homeland Security receives hundreds of television show pitches a year, ranging from documentaries surrounding ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and CBP [Customs and Border Patrol] border operation to white-collar investigations by HSI [Homeland Security Investigations]. Each proposal undergoes a thorough vetting process before denial or approval,” Ms McLaughlin said in a statement to The National.

The pitch, according to the Mail, comes from Rob Worsoff, a writer and producer known for reality Duck Dynasty and Millionaire Matchmaker.

The proposed series, called The American, would see contestants riding across the country on a train and competing in regionally specific “cultural” contests. During their travels, they will reportedly meet “interesting Americans” and learn about the history, culture and quirks of each region. The winner would be sworn in as a citizen on the steps of the US Capitol.

The concept of a reality show might appeal to Mr Trump, who was the host of the hit programme The Apprentice, in which participants competed in business-related challenges for a chance at winning a $250,000 contract to promote a Trump property.

The Trump administration has come under criticism for its treatment of immigrants to the US. ICE agents have been carrying out frequent raids on cities across the country, rounding up people believed to be illegal immigrants and holding them in detention centres. If believed to have committed a crime, they can also be transported to a holding centre in Guantanamo Bay or El Salvador's notorious Cecot mega prison.

It has also come under scrutiny for ordering immigration officials to detain and deport foreign students who participated in university campus protests against the war in Gaza.

But DHS says its policies are making the country safer, and the White House has claimed that illegal crossings along the border with Mexico are down 99 per cent since he took office.