A supervisor within Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of Professional Responsibility issued a warning last year that the agency was rapidly hiring new officers without completing essential background checks, a process that violated federal regulations and created significant risks. The official, whose identity was redacted, expressed concern that the agency was prioritizing speed over thorough vetting to meet President Donald Trump's mass deportation goals.
According to a whistleblower complaint and related memo obtained by The Associated Press, ICE's human resources division was extending job offers before preliminary vetting steps, such as fingerprinting, identity verification, and credit checks, were finalized. The complaint, dated August 2025, stated that this "unprecedented lowering of standards sacrifices proper risk mitigation for expediency, placing DHS at risk of infiltration and insider compromise."
ICE announced in January that it had hired approximately 12,000 new officers in less than a year, a hiring surge funded by a $75 billion congressional allocation aimed at increasing arrests and deportations. This rapid expansion, partly incentivized by a $50,000 signing bonus, had previously raised concerns about the caliber of new recruits. An earlier Associated Press investigation had found instances of new hires with significant financial issues, prior misconduct allegations, and questionable employment histories.
In July, Tom Homan, the White House border czar, indicated that ICE would scrutinize vetting deficiencies following an incident where an officer allegedly shot and killed a motorist in Maine. The whistleblower complaint further detailed that these "systemic breakdowns in vetting" contravened federal rules designed to ensure suitability for sensitive law enforcement and national security roles. The lack of thorough vetting, the complaint warned, increased vulnerability to insider threats, infiltration, and foreign influence, while also undermining ICE's operations and public trust.
The whistleblower urged the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General to investigate these vetting failures, suspend the improper practices, hold responsible parties accountable, and review all recent hires for potential insider threats. The Office of Inspector General has already stated it is investigating ICE's hiring, training, and security clearance processes.
In response, ICE stated that the whistleblower is no longer with the agency and affirmed that its Office of Professional Responsibility "diligently applies the proper personnel vetting regulations... and evaluates all available information for every applicant."
ICE had previously acknowledged that some applicants received tentative selection letters and began training before their background investigations were fully completed. This situation follows a similar concern raised by Ryan Schwank, a former ICE lawyer and academy instructor, who reported that the agency had reduced training on critical areas like use of force and firearms safety. The Department of Homeland Security has since reportedly increased training requirements for new officers.