‘Cosplay Puppy Killer Barbie with another propaganda video.’
@Sec_Noem/X; Daily Dot Graphics
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is drawing backlash online after releasing a promotional video filmed inside El Salvador’s controversial Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT).
In the video, posted to X on Wednesday night, Noem issues a stark warning to those considering entry into the United States without documentation. She implies that facilities like CECOT could serve as a model for handling individuals who commit crimes against Americans.
“This facility is one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use if you commit crimes against the American people,” Noem says in the video.
I toured the CECOT, El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center.
President Trump and I have a clear message to criminal illegal aliens: LEAVE NOW.
If you do not leave, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and you could end up in this El Salvadorian prison. pic.twitter.com/OItDqNsFxM— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) March 26, 2025
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump invoked rarely used wartime powers to deport at least 200 Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador, citing alleged ties to the Tren de Aragua street gang. The group, recently labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. government, now falls under laws that allow for more aggressive enforcement measures.
However, the move has generated significant controversy. Reports have emerged suggesting that many of those deported had no clear or verifiable connection to the gang, raising concerns about due process and civil liberties.
In the wake of the deportations, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem drew further attention with a promotional video filmed inside El Salvador’s highly scrutinized Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). The video, posted to X, showed Noem issuing a stern warning to undocumented migrants, stating that those who commit crimes in the U.S. could face similar conditions.
Reactions online were swift and divided. Critics blasted the video as political spectacle and questioned the ethics of using a foreign detention facility—often criticized for its harsh treatment of inmates—as a backdrop for immigration messaging.
“Cosplay Puppy Killer Barbie with another propaganda video… This time she’s at what could only be described as a concentration camp,” one user posted, referencing a controversial anecdote in Noem’s memoir about putting down her dog. “It’s one thing to incarcerate criminals. It’s another to send people to another country’s Guantanamo Bay without due process.”
Others questioned the visual presentation of inmates in the footage. “This is disgusting propaganda! What do you think they do to those men to get them to stand shirtless, staring into the camera like that? And what happens if they say no?”
Despite the backlash, Noem’s video was met with strong support from conservative circles. Many praised her direct approach and the choice to film in front of the prison as a powerful deterrent message.
“I really like her,” one supporter commented. “Filming at the prison drives the point home—this is what illegal crossing could lead to.”
Another chimed in with glowing praise: “Kristi Noem @Sec_Noem is the finest DHS Secretary, perhaps in history. America first—our laws, borders, safety, national security—she’s fighting for it all. Simple and strong.”
Still, amid the accolades, some observers couldn’t help but notice a detail that sparked further scrutiny: a watch on Noem’s wrist, believed by some to be a luxury Rolex Daytona.
“Is Secretary Noem wearing a $50,000 gold Rolex while threatening undocumented immigrants with due-process-free detention in a third-world prison?” one user asked, calling into question the optics of power, privilege, and messaging.
Is Secretary Noem wearing a $50,000 gold Rolex Daytona wristwatch while she films a threat to immigrants with due-process free rendition to a third-world prison?
— Patrick Jaicomo (@pjaicomo) March 27, 2025
How much does DHS pay? https://t.co/xszninvLIw
Despite Secretary Noem’s hardline warnings, a U.S. appeals court on Wednesday upheld a lower court’s decision to temporarily block the deportation of certain Venezuelan immigrants—a move the Trump administration had attempted to override.
The legal justification behind the administration’s actions stems from a wartime law originally invoked during World War II to detain Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants. Its controversial history has only fueled further debate over its modern-day application.
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