ICE Recruitment Campaign Seeks Agents for Deportations

Million-dollar ICE recruitment campaign
Aggressive and targeted recruitment
High bonuses and criticism

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) planned a $100 million, year-long media campaign.

The agency describes the effort as “wartime recruitment.”

The objective is to attract personnel for the next phase of the mass deportation campaign of President Donald Trump’s administration.

The strategy directly targets conservative audiences.

ICE recruitment campaign and war narrative

Exclusive: ICE officials plan to spend $100 million to recruit gun-rights supporters and military enthusiasts through online influencers and a geo-targeted ad campaign, part of what the agency called a “wartime recruitment” strategy to hire thousands of officers, according to an…

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 31, 2025

The effort targets right-wing radio listeners, gun-rights advocates, followers of military-related content, and enthusiasts of so-called “men’s interests.”

ICE aims to penetrate what its own internal documents describe as the “MAGA-verse.”

One of the ads captures the tone of the ICE recruitment campaign:

“Do you want to deport illegal immigrants with your friends?”

The message explicitly invites viewers to apply.

Geofencing, influencers, and an invasion narrative

// Leaked plan reveals ICE’s $100M ‘wartime’ recruitment to build a conservative armed force. The details will shock you 🤯

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ICE is using geofencing to expand the reach of its recruitment campaign.

This technique allows ads to be delivered to people physically located in specific places.

Targeted locations include military bases, NASCAR races, gun and trade shows, and college campuses.

The information comes from an internal ICE document cited by The Washington Post.

Additionally, the agency plans to spend at least $8 million on influencer partnerships.

The selected influencers operate in spaces related to fitness, military culture, lifestyle branding, and tactical content.

They are expected to promote the administration’s immigration agenda through livestreams, events, and posts aimed at Generation Z and millennial audiences.

The central message is reinforced on ICE’s recruitment website:

“The United States has been invaded by criminals and predators. We need YOU to remove them.”

The campaign relies heavily on patriotic symbolism.

Advertisements feature images of Uncle Sam, George Washington, and the Statue of Liberty.

In contrast, immigrants are portrayed as dangerous actors to justify the urgency of the ICE recruitment campaign.

Historic funding, bonuses, and criticism

🇺🇸 TRUMP’S BORDER PATROL IS NOW A MASSIVE RECRUITING MACHINE WITH GUN TECH AND $10K BONUSES

Border Patrol just hit the gas hard under Trump: bigger budget, harder rules, and way more agents coming in fast.

They’re training 1,700-1,800 students at the same time, a record high,… pic.twitter.com/nClEyIAJzt

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 2, 2026

The hiring push follows the signing of HR 1 in July.

The law allocated $45 billion for immigrant detention and $32 billion for immigration enforcement personnel and operations.

With this funding, ICE plans to hire approximately 14,000 new employees to work on arrests and deportations.

The tone and speed of the campaign have drawn criticism.

Experts warn that the messaging may attract applicants with aggressive or confrontational motivations.

“They are targeting that sweet spot of people who feel they have something to prove, who want power, under the disguise of patriotism,” said Americus Reed, a marketing professor at the Wharton School, in comments to The Washington Post.

ICE has also raised financial incentives as part of its recruitment campaign.

The agency is offering signing bonuses of up to $50,000 and up to $60,000 in student loan repayment assistance.

So far, the response has been massive.

ICE reports receiving more than 220,000 applications and issuing over 18,000 provisional job offers, some on the spot.

At a recruitment fair in Arlington, Texas, more than 100 people were waiting before doors opened.

Attendees told The New York Times they came because they were “very patriotic” and wanted to “protect the homeland.”