The Trump administration is rapidly expanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), aiming to hire 10,000 new deportation officers as part of a sweeping immigration crackdown funded by President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Job postings across 25 U.S. cities indicate a major ramp-up in enforcement operations, with ICE officers being recruited to arrest, detain, and deport migrants. Positions are open in urban centers from Los Angeles to New York, including border cities like El Paso and Harlingen, Texas.
ICE operations have already intensified, with agents reportedly conducting arrests at workplaces and courthouses, often wearing masks and no identification. Officers have allegedly smashed car windows during arrests, signaling a shift to more aggressive tactics.
“Are you ready to defend the homeland?” reads the ICE recruitment post. “Join a dedicated team safeguarding U.S. borders and upholding immigration laws.”
Massive Incentives for Recruits and Retired Agents
With a slowing job market and persistent inflation, ICE is offering signing bonuses of $50,000, student loan forgiveness up to $60,000, and salaries ranging from $50,000 to $90,000. For retired ICE agents returning to service, pay ranges from $88,000 to $144,000—plus the bonus.
So far, 1,000 job offers have been made, mostly to former ICE officers who left during the Biden administration. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told the Associated Press many of these officers were “frustrated they couldn’t do their jobs” under Biden.
An image of Uncle Sam alongside the words “RETURN TO MISSION” now features prominently on the DHS site, evoking a call to arms.
DHS Leadership Echoes a Nationalist Mission
“Your country needs dedicated men and women of ICE to get the worst of the worst criminals out of our country,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“This is a defining moment in our nation’s history.”
The hiring blitz is focused in cities with significant immigrant populations:
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Major metro areas like Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
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Border cities including El Paso and Harlingen, TX
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Latino hubs like San Antonio, Phoenix, Miami Beach, and Los Angeles
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Northern border cities including Buffalo and Detroit
Use of Military Raises Constitutional Concerns
In parallel, DHS is hiring criminal investigators and attorneys nationwide, offering up to $171,000 per year for experienced agents. Reports from The New Republic indicate discussions within the Trump administration about military collaboration with ICE, raising red flags among constitutional scholars.
A memo from Philip Hegseth, brother of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, urged military leaders to treat domestic immigration enforcement with “homeland defense urgency.” Critics compared this to the military’s role during Japanese internment in WWII.
“We don’t want the military doing law enforcement. It absolutely undermines the rule of law,” said Carrie Lee, senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund.
Funding Comes With Cuts to Medicaid
The hiring and expansion are financed by Trump’s flagship legislative package, “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which also includes major tax cuts for the wealthy and cuts to Medicaid, potentially leaving millions without health coverage.
“The funding… will play a key role in fulfilling his promise to deport criminal illegal aliens,” said White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson, according to Politico.
Experts warn the rapid hiring pace may compromise oversight and accountability.
“Getting 10,000 means basically hiring whoever walks in the door,” said Josiah Heyman, director of the Center for Inter-American and Border Studies at the University of Texas, El Paso.
“Rapid, mass-hiring lends itself to mistakes and cutting corners.”
As Trump’s immigration agenda escalates, civil rights groups and legal scholars are watching closely, raising concerns over due process, abuse of power, and the use of military force on U.S. soil.
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