How possible is it to win your way to a green card?

If you've ever watched The Amazing Race and thought, "What if the prize was US citizenship?" well, someone's already a step ahead of you. Enter The American, a not-yet-greenlit reality TV concept pitched by producer Rob Worsoff, who has worked on cultural powerhouses such as Duck Dynasty and The Millionaire Matchmaker. The show's premise centres around immigrants competing in challenges across the United States, trivia contests and all, for the ultimate prize: becoming an American citizen.

According to the Daily Mail, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was somehow in on it, or at least giving it a polite, bureaucratic nod. But the DHS quickly jumped into damage control mode, issuing a firm (and rather theatrical) rebuttal titled "Fake News Friday," in which it accused the tabloid of running wild with a "media hoax." The agency insisted Secretary Kristi Noem hadn't "backed" any such project and, in fact, had no idea it even existed.

That's when things got murky. Because while the DHS is very clear that Noem isn't signing off on The American anytime soon, they aren't denying that the pitch was, in fact, received. And that's where this story takes a deliciously absurd turn.

On being American

Worsoff himself confirmed to The New York Times that The American is a real pitch. And he's not shying away from its patriotic glitz. "We need a national conversation of what it means to be American," he told NYT, highlighting how the show would spotlight immigrant stories, journeys, and dreams. "We're putting a face to these people and celebrating them as humans." So, yes, it's part game show, part civic lovefest, part high-stakes Survivor. While only the winner gets citizenship, Worsoff has made it clear that no one would be penalised or deported for losing. It's a competition without cruelty, he promises.

Still, the idea of gamifying citizenship, something that many immigrants spend years, even decades, pursuing through paperwork and legal limbo, isn't sitting well with everyone. Critics have raised concerns about turning a deeply personal and often painful journey into prime-time entertainment. Is it celebration, or is it exploitation?

What's even more eyebrow-raising is the DHS's two-tone messaging. Publicly, they blasted the Daily Mail's report as "an affront to journalism," but in the NYT story, assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin seemed to soften a bit. "The pitch generally was a celebration of being an American and what a privilege it is," she said. "It's important to revive civic duty." Not exactly a glowing endorsement, but not a total shutdown either.

So, where does this leave us? The DHS says it gets "hundreds of television show pitches" every year. Most don't make it past the idea stage. But The American clearly made enough noise to spark a national headline war, a departmental press release, and a whole lot of speculation.

The idea of The American isn't entirely without precedent. Reality television has long flirted with themes of national identity, competition, and transformation. Shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and America's Got Talent frame personal struggle and aspiration within an entertainment lens. But no reality show has yet offered US citizenship as a tangible prize, an idea that raises thorny legal questions. For one, naturalisation is a highly regulated federal process, governed by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The law requires applicants to meet stringent requirements, including lawful permanent residency, English language proficiency, and passing a civics exam; not exactly reality-show material.