How are ICE agents recruited, and who are they?

"Once a relatively obscure branch of law enforcement, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have fast become the sharp point of Donald Trump's mass deportation initiative. Since Trump took office a year ago, the number of ICE agents has jumped from 10,000 to 22,000, thanks largely to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recruitment drive to sign up what they call "qualified patriotic Americans from across the country." The Trump administration said it deported 605,000 people between January 20 and December 10, 2025, and 1.9 million immigrants had "voluntarily self-deported." Such a significant upscaling of a branch of law enforcement is unusual and unprecedented in the history of ICE, which was formed in 2002."

"Training time cut as numbers rise ICE training has been cut from 16 to eight weeks in the drive. The requirement to learn some Spanish, the language of most of the country's unauthorized immigrants, has also been axed. ICE did not respond to a series of questions from DW on its recruitment. Concerns about the training of agents and the perceived politicization of ICE have grown in the wake of the death of Renee Nicole Good, which has sparked countrywide protests across and lead to the resignation of a dozen federal prosecutors in the state of Minnesota on Wednesday."

""ICE does seek candidates who meet specific eligibility and suitability requirements, including citizenship, fitness standards, background investigations and, for some roles, law enforcement training or experience," Melissa Hamilton, an American lawyer and a former police and prison officer, told DW. "At the same time, recent federal recruitment initiatives have emphasized volume alongside quality, with sig"

ICE agent numbers rose from 10,000 to 22,000 within a year under the Trump administration. The administration reported deporting 605,000 people between January 20 and December 10, 2025, and stated 1.9 million immigrants had "voluntarily self-deported." DHS ran a recruitment drive to sign up "qualified patriotic Americans," attracting about 220,000 candidates. Training was cut from 16 to 8 weeks and the requirement to learn some Spanish was removed. ICE did not respond to a series of questions on its recruitment. Concerns about screening, training adequacy, and perceived politicization intensified after the death of Renee Nicole Good, which sparked nationwide protests and prompted resignations of federal prosecutors in Minnesota. Officials indicated recent recruitment emphasized volume alongside quality, raising suitability questions.

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