Last Updated:September 17, 2025, 21:56 IST

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has launched a recruitment campaign in late July to help with Trump’s immigration crackdown. It has received 1.5 lakh applications.

Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown has triggered controversy. (Reuters/File)

The US Homeland Security Department said that over 150,000 “patriotic Americans” have applied to work with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to help carry out deportation arrests to enforce President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

In late July, federal officials in the US had launched a massive recruitment campaign to hire thousands of immigration agents, attorneys and workers to enforce President Donald Trump’s plans to deport a million illegal immigrants annually from the United States. The ICE offered significant benefits such as a $50,000 bonus, up to $60,000 in student loan forgiveness, and a 25% premium pay incentive.

“ICE has received more than 150,000 applications from patriotic Americans who want to defend the homeland by removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from the US,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“We have already issued more than 18,000 tentative job offers. Americans are answering their country’s call to serve and help remove murderers, pedophiles, rapists, terrorists, and gang members from our country.”

The enormous interest comes after violent anti-ICE protests swept the United States in response to Trump’s surge in deportations and criminal migrant arrests. The dramatic expansion of ICE operations has upset communities in several parts of the country and raised concerns over the tactics ICE agents have used to catch alleged illegal immigrants.

Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration received a boost after his Big Beautiful Bill granted the ICE $75 billion in extra funding to carry out immigration raids, including $30 billion for arrest and deportation efforts and $45 billion to expand detention capabilities, the New York Post reported.

ICE issued an “urgent call” to former officers back in July under a recruitment campaign dubbed “Operation Return to Mission.” A signing bonus of up to $50,000, student loan repayment and forgiveness, enhanced retirement benefits and “administratively uncontrollable overtime” for Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) Deportation Officers have also been offered as incentives for prospective ICE agents.

Meanwhile, Homeland Security also launched a fresh immigration enforcement operation in Chicago this month after President Trump repeatedly threatened to deploy National Guard troops in the city.

The DHS announced ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ to target “criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois because they knew (Illinois) Governor (JB) Pritzker and his sanctuary policies would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets.”

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More