"Last year, Trump officials pledged to double staffing at ICE by adding 10,000 new deportation officers by January 2026. Stephen Miller treated the recruitment drive as a priority on par with the deportation push, demanding daily updates on the pace of hiring. Immigration and Customs Enforcement held job expos in multiple cities and dangled $50,000 bonuses, student-loan forgiveness, and other perks before potential recruits."
"Just after New Year's Day, the Department of Homeland Security declared victory, celebrating an ICE hiring spree that "shattered expectations" and achieved a "120% Manpower Increase." DHS said it received more than 220,000 applications (many candidates applied for three or four different jobs) and signed up 12,000 new officers, agents, and legal staff in about four months. No federal law-enforcement agency has ever expanded this fast."
"The percentage of new deportation officers who are actually ready to go out on the streets, however, is much lower than what the administration has been claiming, according to five DHS and ICE officials I spoke with. About 1,200 recruits have completed courses at ICE's training academy, and another 3,000 have finished online training courses for new hires with previous policing experience. ICE has also brought back about 800 retirees who can earn a salary on top of their pension."
The White House set aggressive numeric immigration targets and pledged to add 10,000 new ICE deportation officers by January 2026. Stephen Miller demanded daily hiring updates while ICE ran job expos offering $50,000 bonuses, student-loan forgiveness, and other perks. DHS celebrated a claimed 120% manpower increase, reporting more than 220,000 applications and 12,000 signups in four months. Operational readiness, however, lags: about 1,200 recruits completed academy courses, another 3,000 finished online training, and roughly 800 retired officers returned, totaling roughly 5,000 operational deportation officers issued badges and guns. Officials estimate five to six months to approach the 10,000 target.
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