The ads have cost at least $19 million in airtime and continued airing Sunday despite lawsuits seeking to stop them. A Border Patrol official told the court the ads would end that day, and the administration said it had “no plans” for additional media buys. The Justice Department sidestepped questions about their legality.
Customs and Border Protection awarded the $20 million media contract on Sept. 20, a day after receiving that amount from the Office of Management and Budget. Trump pledged on Oct. 5 to fund future ads personally and through his super PAC, MAGA Inc., after bipartisan criticism, but taxpayer funded spots continued. The White House said he would not reimburse the government for earlier spending. The Democratic National Committee and watchdog groups are pursuing separate lawsuits to halt the ads, alleging they violate the federal prohibition on government funded propaganda.