The previous age requirements said applicants must be at least 21 years old and no older than 37 or 40, depending on the position being applied for.
The Department for Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday removed age limits for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recruits, as it aims to expand hiring following a boost in funding from Congress.
DHS said that it will waive the age limits “so even more patriots will qualify to join ICE in its mission to arrest murderers, pedophiles, gang members, rapists, and other criminal illegal aliens from America’s streets.”
All ICE recruits will be required to go through medical and drug screening, as well as complete a physical fitness test.
The previous age requirements said applicants must be at least 21 years old and no older than 37 or 40, depending on the position being applied for.
DHS said the recruitment efforts are needed to remove criminal illegal immigrants who had entered the country in the wake of what it called former President Joe Biden’s “open borders disaster.”
The department promoted the removal of the age limits on social media, posting on X a graphic showing an older and a younger man both wearing tactical gear, writing, “We’re taking father/son bonding to a whole new level.”
We’re taking father/son bonding to a whole new level.https://t.co/nZkBEj3GGi pic.twitter.com/sg5QwuDDwG
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 6, 2025
ICE, the agency responsible for arresting and removing people who are illegally in the United States, posted on X, “You spoke, we listened and we took action – the age cap for joining ICE has now been REMOVED.”
You spoke, we listened and we took action – the age cap for joining ICE has now been REMOVED.
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) August 6, 2025
We must Defend the Homeland.https://t.co/3c7b0Ry86A pic.twitter.com/xEeCXwnjTR
“We must Defend the Homeland,” ICE said, in reference to DHS’s initiative dubbed “Defend the Homeland.”
Launched on July 29, Defend the Homeland is a nationwide recruitment drive encouraging Americans to join ICE and “remove the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from America’s streets.”
The funding for the new recruits will come from the recently signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which gives ICE money to fund the hiring of 10,000 more staff.
In total, the bill sets aside about $170 billion for border security and immigration enforcement over five years, including $76.5 billion for ICE alone—nearly 10 times the agency’s current annual budget. Of that amount, $45 billion will expand detention capacity, and nearly $30 billion will fund the hiring of additional ICE personnel to help the agency reach its target of 1 million deportations a year.
