Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have become virtually at the center of Donald Trump's mass deportation initiative.

Since Trump assumed his second presidency in the United States a year ago, the number of ICE agents jumped from 10,000 to 22,000, thanks in large part to a campaign of The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recruits what they call “qualified patriotic Americans from across the country.” The significant growth of this branch of law enforcement is unusual and unprecedented in the history of ICE, which was created in 2002. This raises questions about the selection and suitability of candidates. Training time is reduced as members increase. ICE training time has been cut from 16 to eight weeks. Learning even a little Spanish, the language of most unauthorized immigrants in the country, is no longer a requirement. ICE did not respond to a series of questions posed by DW its recruitment process.

Concerns about agent training and the perceived politicization of ICE have grown in the wake of the death of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot by an ICE agent on Wednesday, January 7. This has sparked nationwide protests and led to the resignation of a dozen federal prosecutors in the state of Minnesota.

“ICE seeks candidates who meet specific eligibility and suitability requirements, including citizenship, aptitude standards, background checks, and, for some positions, law enforcement training or experience,” Melissa Hamilton attracts a US attorney and former police and prison officer, explained to DW.

“At the same time, recent federal recruitment initiatives have prioritized volume alongside quality, with significant funding earmarked to fill thousands of tens of positions and offering incentives to quickly large pools of applicants.”

Recruitment campaign with “Uncle Sam”

Melissa Hamilton, who teaches law and criminal justice at the University of Surrey, England, notes that certain elements of ICE recruitment, such as attending job fairs or posting ads on federal job portals, are typical of law enforcement agencies, but that the organization also employs unusual methods.“Where ICE's recent approach differs is in the scale and intensity of the media push, with unusually high-budget advertising campaigns and broad public outreach aimed at generating large pools of applicants,” she points out. One of the methods is the inclusion of “Uncle Sam”—a symbol of the US government, used to recruit soldiers during World War I—on ICE's jobs website, and the posting on social media of the painting “American Progress,” often criticized for depicting white settlers traveling to their destination while Native Americans are being pushed back. The advertising spending for what the Department of Homeland Security has described as a “wartime recruitment” campaign in 2026 It amounts to $100 million (€86 million), according to a 30-page document obtained by The Washington Post. It appears this pace will continue in the coming years, as Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" granted ICE a budget of $170 billion over the next four years for border and internal security. The ads target Trump's base. Several observers agree that ICE is using modern methods to capture the attention of groups that share Trump's ideology. Hamilton points to the practice of geofencing.

In this case, that means the internet browsers and social media feeds of anyone near, say, military bases, special sporting events, or gun shows and trade shows, can be targeted with recruitment ads.

There are also sign-up bonuses of up to $50,000 and student loan payment and forgiveness options. “The campaign is aimed at the underemployed and those from working-class families,” Hamilton explains. “It probably won't appeal to those interested in social justice.”

Age limits removed, but is recruitment a success?

Age limits have also been abolished, giving you a wider pool of potential candidates.

Previously, the minimum age limit was 21 and the maximum was 37 to 40, depending on the position. The DHS insists that its recruitment processes guarantee “rigorous standards of training and preparation.” Although not without detractors, The recruitment campaign has worked, at least in some respects, Hamilton concluded.

“Success depends on the criteria used: if the goal was to significantly expand the workforce quickly, the recruitment appears to have paid off. If the goal is to attract highly experienced law enforcement personnel, the result is mixed, with some reporting concerns about the new recruits' experience levels relative to the demands of complex immigration enforcement work.”

Such distinctions are unnecessary for DHS. “With these new patriots on the team, we will be able to accomplish what many consider impossible and deliver on President Trump's promise to make America safe again,” he boasted earlier this month.