The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has received more than 150,000 applications from Americans seeking positions with the agency as part of a broad effort to expand deportation and detention operations.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said ICE has issued more than 18,000 tentative job offers since launching a large recruitment campaign over the summer. In a statement, Noem described the applicants as "patriotic Americans" who want to help the agency carry out removals of migrants arrested on criminal charges.
The recruitment push follows congressional approval of a supplemental enforcement package that provided roughly $75 billion in additional funding for immigration operations earlier this year. Supporters of the legislation have called it the "Big Beautiful Bill." The department has described the allocation as including roughly $30 billion for arrest and deportation efforts and about $45 billion to expand detention capacity.
DHS and ICE officials said the agency focused on attracting former federal law enforcement officers through a campaign called "Operation Return to Mission," and moved to relax an age cap that previously limited new hires to certain positions. The agency also offered financial incentives, including signing bonuses of up to $50,000, student loan repayment and forgiveness, enhanced retirement benefits, and administratively uncontrollable overtime for Enforcement and Removal Operations deportation officers. Media reports have also cited offers of high six-figure pay packages for some recruits.
The recruitment effort was launched after months of intensified enforcement actions ordered by the White House. ICE conducted large-scale operations in several major cities, including Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and announced last week the start of "Operation Midway Blitz" in Chicago. DHS officials said the Chicago operation aims to target migrants they described as having traveled to Illinois because of that state's sanctuary policies.
The surge in enforcement this year has prompted nationwide protests against ICE, some of which escalated into violent confrontations, according to media accounts and local law enforcement reports. The department's push to expand staffing comes amid that recent public backlash.
Noem's announcement did not specify how many of the more than 150,000 applicants are expected to clear background checks, complete training or be hired permanently. DHS and ICE officials have emphasized that applicants must pass vetting and suitability reviews before receiving final offers and being assigned to field duties.
ICE and DHS officials said the new hires are intended to bolster staffing for deportation operations and to replace personnel who left the agency in recent years. Agency leaders have said attrition during the previous administration contributed to staffing shortages that limited enforcement capacity.
It was not immediately clear how quickly the newly hired personnel would be deployed to field operations or how the additional detention capacity funded by the supplemental package would be ramped up. DHS said it will continue to coordinate enforcement activities across multiple jurisdictions and to recruit candidates to fill vacancies in Enforcement and Removal Operations and related components.
Officials from governors' offices, cities, and immigrant advocacy groups have criticized the administration's enforcement strategy and the expansion of resources for deportations, while supporters say the measures are necessary to address crime and strengthen border security. DHS has said it is prioritizing arrests of noncitizens with criminal histories and those it describes as threats to public safety.
Statements from DHS and ICE with the application and offer figures were posted on the department's official channels Tuesday. The agency's recruiting drive, funding increases and stepped-up operations are likely to remain central elements of the administration's immigration policy over the coming months as authorities continue to conduct large-scale enforcement actions.
