‘South Park’ Provokes Silence from DHS Following ICE Barbie Satire

The latest episode of South Park has left the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in an unusual state of silence, following a scathing portrayal of Secretary Kristi Noem. This comes after the department previously leveraged the show to bolster its recruitment campaigns.

Noem, depicted as a glamorous ICE agent, engages in absurd antics such as posing for selfies, administering botox, and even committing acts of violence against puppies, all while targeting individuals who appear Hispanic.

Since the episode aired on Wednesday, DHS has refrained from commenting on the controversial depiction. When contacted for a response on Thursday, a spokesperson provided a statement that had been issued prior to the episode's release, thanking South Park for highlighting ICE's recruitment needs.

“We want to thank South Park for drawing attention to ICE law enforcement recruitment: We are calling on patriotic Americans to help us remove murderers, gang members, pedophiles, and other violent criminals from our country,” the statement read. “Benefits available to new ICE recruits include an up to $50,000 signing bonus, student loan forgiveness, and retirement benefits.”

When asked again about any reaction to the episode, DHS did not respond to further inquiries. The department's social media presence has also been notably quiet regarding South Park, a stark contrast to earlier in the week when teasers from the show were used to promote the urgent need for more ICE agents.

In a cheeky response, the official South Park account on X (formerly Twitter) quipped, “Wait, so we ARE relevant?” followed by the hashtag “#eatabagofd--s.”

Noem’s character makes her first appearance in an ICE orientation video where she chillingly admits to having euthanized her puppy by shooting it. This dark humor references Noem’s real-life admission in her memoir about killing her dog, Cricket, for not being obedient enough. Throughout the episode, her character continues this grim theme by fatally shooting dogs.

Among other outrageous lines, Noem’s character instructs her agents to “only detain the brown ones!” This blatant mockery extends to other prominent figures associated with the MAGA movement. President Donald Trump is depicted with a micropenis; JD Vance is shown as a manbaby obediently following Trump’s orders; and Charlie Kirk is caricatured through Cartman’s podcasting style and hairstyle.

A recurring gag features Noem’s face becoming droopy or even falling off if she speaks for too long without a touch-up from her makeup crew, which is always conveniently nearby.

In reality, Noem has been actively advocating for increased recruitment into ICE. The department's desperation for agents has led to the removal of the college degree requirement and the introduction of a substantial $50,000 signing bonus for new recruits.

Despite these incentives, recruitment efforts have not met expectations. On Wednesday, Noem announced that ICE would eliminate its age ceiling—previously set at 39—to attract older millennials and Gen X applicants. Additionally, the minimum age requirement has been lowered from 21, allowing teenagers to join without any prior law enforcement experience.