ICE Announces ‘Most Successful’ Recruitment Campaign in US History

ICE said it was offering ‘unparalleled’ incentives to recruits, including a signing bonus of up to $50,000.

Protesters block ICE vans during a confrontation with ICE over a purported enforcement operation on Canal Street in New York City on Nov. 29, 2025. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) received more than 220,000 applications for more than 10,000 open positions at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ICE said in a statement on Dec. 18.

DHS has officially hired 11,751 law enforcement officers, attorneys, criminal investigators, and mission support staff, the agency said. This is the “most successful federal law enforcement agency recruitment campaign in American history,” the agency said.