Frank Wuco, a birther and talk radio host, is now the public face of President Donald Trump's "multibillion-dollar attempt to rebuild its flailing self-deportation program," The Daily Beast reported on Monday. The initiative faces a new complication: the challenge of replacing a contractor that has already received more than $1 billion.

The self-deportation push is central to the administration's broader mass deportation agenda, offering migrants financial incentives to leave the country voluntarily rather than face arrest and removal — an approach officials have promoted as cheaper and logistically simpler than largescale enforcement operations, though one whose uptake has so far fallen short of projections.

That company, which did not exist until two years before winning its contract, has become the focus of concerns over contracting practices, spending, performance, and the officials overseeing the program's redesign. The situation has also drawn attention to how federal agencies vet contractors, since existing rules do not bar young firms from winning major awards if they meet solicitation requirements.

At the center of the story is Wuco, a senior adviser to Department of Homeland Security undersecretary for management Brian Cavanaugh, according to the Beast. Wuco led an August 12 briefing for companies interested in bidding on a new contract worth up to $2.34 billion.

Wuco's past statements include the racist claim that the U.S. was promoting the "Zimbabwe-fication of America," a belief he tied to his strong support for the mass deportation campaign. He also falsely alleged that former CIA Director John Brennan had converted to Islam and that former Attorney General Eric Holder had been a member of the Black Panthers. In a 2016 broadcast, Wuco said the United States should have used low-yield nuclear weapons in Afghanistan after 9/11. He also reportedly adopted a fictional former-jihadist identity for presentations on Islamist extremism.

The Beast reported that "in May 2025, DHS awarded the existing $915 million contract to Salus Worldwide Solutions—a company founded and led by Trump crony and former State Department surgeon William Walters III—despite its having existed for only two years and never having led a government contract." The company subsequently received an additional $200 million "extension" after exhausting the funds from the initial award. Salus is now unlikely to win the next contract, worth approximately $2.34 billion.

The new competition has drawn scrutiny over its compressed schedule. DHS issued its final request for proposals on August 19, gave bidders until August 21 to submit questions, set September 2 as the bid deadline, and planned to select a winner by September 29. Bidders complained that the request for proposals was vague and lacked operational detail, leaving them just two business days to prepare and submit proposals.

A competing company alleged that the initial award was unlawful and noncompetitive, while DHS lawyers reportedly warned that the process created an "appearance of impropriety." The Court of Federal Claims ultimately rejected that challenge, finding no evidence of bad faith or unfair treatment.

Wuco's involvement in selecting a new company was previously criticized by New York Magazine as one of "Trump's Greatest Worst Hits" of his early first-term appointments. The Beast said his role has "added another bizarre twist to the ongoing saga."

The successful bidder will inherit the program's existing caseload, potentially lead operations inside up to 35 ICE detention centers, and promote self-deportation funding options for migrants. Whoever wins will effectively become one of the largest private operators in the immigration enforcement system, a role that has long drawn scrutiny from congressional overseers and watchdogs monitoring conditions and costs in contracted detention operations.

Salus initially projected 276,000 relocations in its first year, then lowered the target to 108,000, a figure it ultimately failed to reach. Company records reportedly showed 76,881 completed relocations as of March 25, 2026. Salus has also claimed that 138,000 people chose the program's "Assisted Voluntary Departure pathway," but has not clearly explained the source of that figure.

DHS defended Wuco's role, stating that the upcoming selection will be ethical and legal and that the department will not favor a specific company.

"DHS will evaluate proposals based on the criteria set forth in the solicitation, and any award decision will be made in accordance with those criteria and all applicable acquisition statutes and regulations," a DHS spokesperson told the Beast. The spokesperson added that any contractor selected would be "required to perform in accordance with the terms of the contract, applicable law, and Department oversight."

The Beast questioned that claim, suggesting it represented another effort by the Trump administration to prop up a costly, underperforming program.