ICE offers big bucks - but California police officers prove tough to poach

"The agency even shelled out for airtime during an NFL game with an ad explicitly targeting officers. "In sanctuary cities, dangerous illegals walk free as police are forced to stand down," the August recruitment ad warned over a sunset panorama of the Los Angeles skyline. "Join ICE and help us catch the worst of the worst." To meet its hiring goal, the Trump administration is offering hefty signing bonuses, student loan forgiveness and six-figure salaries to would-be deportation officers."

"ICE has also broadened its pool of potential applicants by dropping age requirements, eliminating Spanish-language proficiency requirements and cutting back on training for new hires with law enforcement experience. Along the way, the agency has walked a delicate line, seeking to maintain cordial relations with local department leaders while also trying to poach their officers. "We're not trying to pillage a bunch of officers from other agencies," said Tim Oberle, an ICE spokesman."

"But despite the generous new compensation packages, experts said ICE is still coming up short in some of the places it needs agents the most. "The pay in California is incredible," said Jason Litchney of All-Star Talent, a recruiting firm. "Some of these Bay Area agencies are $200,000 a year without overtime." Even entry level base pay for a Los Angeles Police Department officer is more than $90,000 year. In San Francisco, it's close to $120,000. While ICE pays far more in California than in most other states,"

ICE is aggressively expanding recruitment of experienced patrol officers, offering signing bonuses, student loan relief and six-figure salaries while airing targeted ads. The agency relaxed age and Spanish-language requirements and reduced training for applicants with prior law-enforcement experience to accelerate hiring. An NFL ad portrayed sanctuary cities as allowing dangerous individuals to go free and urged officers to "help catch the worst of the worst." ICE seeks to balance recruitment with maintaining cordial relations with local police leaders even while recruiting their officers. High municipal pay in places such as San Francisco and Los Angeles limits ICE's success despite increased incentives.

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