More than 100,000 people have applied to be ICE agents: Does that mean there will be even more deportations?

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is looking to expand its ranks, and after a recruitment campaign and the removal of age limits for new applicants, the agency says it has drawn over 100,000 applications.

“Our country is calling you to serve in ICE. After the failed immigration policies of the Biden administration, your country needs dedicated men and women at ICE to remove the worst criminals from our nation. This is a decisive moment in our nation’s history. Your skills, your experience, and your courage have never been more essential. Together, we must defend the homeland,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.

Recently, Noem announced that the age cap for new ICE applicants would be eliminated. As part of the recruitment push, the campaign has even urged parents to join ICE alongside their adult children.

The bill known as the One Big Beautiful Bill allocated more funding for the Trump administration to hire 10,000 new officers in support of its expanded deportation policies. While ICE has received over 100,000 applications in recent weeks, that does not mean all applicants will become immigration officers.

Beyond budget constraints, every ICE recruit must pass medical exams, drug tests, and a physical fitness assessment before they can officially join the force.

The incentives for becoming an ICE officer

ICE’s recruitment campaign has also leaned heavily on the benefits package available to officers. The One Big Beautiful Bill included funding for a range of incentives aimed at law enforcement recruits.

These perks include a signing bonus of up to $50,000, payment options and student loan forgiveness, a 25% Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) boost for special agents in Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime (AUO) for deportation officers in Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Officers would also receive enhanced retirement benefits.

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