ICE Hiring Campaign Annoys Some Local Partners
A recruitment campaign to hire Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Officers is upsetting some of ICE’s local law enforcement partners.
Flush with cash from the Big Beautiful Bill, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is dangling signing bonuses of up to $50,000 for potential ICE recruits. Also offered is up to $60,000 in student aid repayment, enhanced retirement benefits, overtime, and other perks as ICE aims to hire an additional 14,000 officers.
“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,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
However, law enforcement partners are upset after ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan sent a mass recruitment email to local law enforcement agencies that have existing 287(g) contracts with the federal government. Such agencies work closely with ICE, and local leaders felt it was an inappropriate move to poach employees.
“We’re their force multipliers, and this is the thanks we get helping them do their job?” said Polk County, Florida, Sheriff Grady Judd.
"It is tone-deaf and reflects a total lack of judgment and character on their part," said National Sheriff’s Association (NSA) executive director and CEO Jonathan Thompson. "This is either galactically stupid or purposefully malicious. You're just robbing Peter to pay Paul. And in this case, you're robbing the poorest of Peter to pay the richest of Paul."
But other sheriffs felt differently.
“You can’t blame ICE for wanting to target experienced law enforcement agents for jobs,” said Terrell County, Texas Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland. “This is obviously better than a street hire and will require less training.”
And DHS defended the move.
“ICE is recruiting law enforcement, veterans, and other patriots who want to serve their country… including our 287(g) partners who have already been trained and have valuable law enforcement experience,” said a DHS spokesperson.
Posters, Social Media Help with Recruitment Drive
In addition to the mass email, ICE is rolling out patriotic recruitment posters to “attract the next generation of law enforcement professionals to find, arrest, and remove criminal illegal aliens.” The posters will be distributed across major cities, college campuses, job fairs, law enforcement networks, and other venues. A social media campaign is also in the works.
And so far, it appears to be paying off. ICE says it’s made 1,000 job offers since the Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law.