The ‘Defend the Homeland’ recruitment drive is made possible by a funding boost from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is seeking to hire 10,000 additional agents and legal staff, offering signing bonuses of up to $50,000 and student loan forgiveness as part of a major recruitment drive amid stepped‑up deportation operations.
In new postings on social media and its recruitment website, the agency highlighted openings for deportation officers, special agents, and attorneys in its Office of the Principal Legal Advisor—described in the post as one of the federal government’s most prestigious legal divisions.
ICE’s recruitment pitch stresses integrity, courage, and physical fitness, citing a mission to combat cross‑border crime and illegal immigration that “threaten national security and public safety.”
“Serve your country! Defend your culture!” an Aug. 5 post by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) states, noting that some enforcement roles do not require an undergraduate degree.
In an Aug. 4 appearance on Fox News, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said he’s “ecstatic” to see a surge of applicants for various positions since DHS launched the initiative—dubbed “Defend the Homeland”—several days ago.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in a July 29 statement launching the initiative, urged Americans to join ICE’s mission to remove the nation’s most dangerous alien offenders.
“Your country is calling you to serve at ICE. In the wake of the Biden administration’s failed immigration policies, your country needs dedicated men and women of ICE to get the worst of the worst criminals out of our country,” Noem said. “This is a defining moment in our nation’s history. Your skills, your experience, and your courage have never been more essential. Together, we must defend the homeland.”
The ICE hiring spree is made possible by a massive cash infusion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act package President Donald Trump signed in July. It 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 10,000 additional staff to help the agency reach its target of 1 million deportations a year.
By Tom Ozimek
