Spotify Ends ICE Recruitment Ads After Backlash and Fatal Shooting

Spotify has confirmed that it is no longer running U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recruitment ads, following months of public criticism and renewed scrutiny after a fatal shooting involving an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

A spokesperson for Spotify told Variety that the advertising campaign ended late last year.

“There are currently no ICE ads running on Spotify,” the spokesperson said, adding that the ads were part of a broad U.S. government recruitment effort that appeared across many major media platforms.

The ads were tied to the Trump administration’s push to significantly expand immigration enforcement. As part of a roughly $30 billion initiative, the government aimed to hire at least 10,000 additional deportation officers by the end of 2025. Recruitment spots promoting ICE roles appeared on platforms such as Hulu, Max, YouTube, and Pandora.

According to a November report from Rolling Stone, Spotify received about $74,000 from the Department of Homeland Security to run the ads. Data cited in the report also showed that Google and YouTube were paid roughly $3 million for Spanish-language ads that promoted self-deportation.

Spotify users on the free, ad-supported plan reported hearing the ICE recruitment ads between songs. The ads highlighted incentives such as signing bonuses of up to $50,000. Some listeners said the campaign prompted them to cancel their subscriptions.

At the time, Spotify defended its decision, telling Newsweek that the ads were part of a nationwide government campaign and did not violate the company’s advertising policies. Spotify also noted that users could rate ads with thumbs-up or thumbs-down to help shape their ad preferences.

The controversy sparked organized backlash. In late October, the Indivisible Project called for a boycott of Spotify, urging the company to stop supporting ICE recruitment. More recently, Indivisible Project joined forces with Working Families and 50501 Movement to launch a new boycott dubbed “Spotify Unwrapped,” timed to protest Spotify’s annual year-end Wrapped campaign.

While Spotify says the ICE ads are no longer running, the episode has left lasting questions about the role major tech and media platforms play in distributing controversial government messaging — and how quickly public pressure can influence those decisions.