U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is launching a major recruitment effort, offering expanded hiring incentives and actively promoting openings across the country.
On July 29, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new hiring initiative for ICE agents, which includes a comprehensive set of financial and professional benefits. According to DHS, new recruits will receive:
- Signing bonuses of up to $50,000
- Student loan repayment or partial forgiveness
- Special stipends for positions in Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO)
- Access to enhanced retirement benefits and support programs
Kristi Noem, Secretary of DHS, stated, “We need dedicated agents to remove the worst criminals after the Biden administration’s failed immigration policies. This is one of the most important moments in history, and we need the next generation of law enforcement professionals.”
To support the hiring drive, DHS launched a dedicated recruitment website (www.ice.gov/careers) and is setting up outreach booths at job fairs, major cities, and college campuses nationwide.
Hiring Details and Requirements
According to the ICE careers site, law enforcement positions are available in the Los Angeles area and across the country. For example, entry-level salaries for deportation officers range from $49,739 to $89,528, depending on qualifications.
Hiring requirements include:
- U.S. citizenship
- Background checks and drug screening
- Physical fitness tests
- Firearms proficiency
- For advanced positions: a bachelor’s degree, a GPA of 3.0 or higher, or being in the top 30% of the graduating class
ICE is also hiring for roles beyond deportation, including investigators, auditors, attorneys, field medical coordinators, nurses, and psychological counselors.
ICE clarified that a bachelor’s degree is not required for entry-level positions. The physical ability test includes a 1.5-mile run, barrier climbing, and dragging a 175-pound dummy.
Criticism and Federal Funding
This hiring expansion marks a contrast to the Trump administration, which had reduced the size of several federal agencies. Critics warn that lowering entry barriers and rapidly increasing hiring could weaken ICE’s operational standards.
Jason Houser, a former senior advisor in the Biden administration, told The Guardian on July 30, “If you rapidly expand the workforce like this without proper training, the agency’s quality will suffer. In the early 2000s, similar fast growth led to misconduct and other problems among agents.”
The expanded hiring effort was made possible by the Our Big Beautiful Border Act (OBBBA), passed in July. Under this legislation, ICE secured a $76.5 billion budget—nearly ten times its previous funding.
According to DHS, $30 billion of the new budget will be used to hire 10,000 new law enforcement agents and provide hiring incentives. The remaining $45 billion will go toward expanding and improving detention facilities.
President Donald Trump signed the OBBBA and announced the plan to add 10,000 new ICE agents when the bill passed last month.
BY HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]
