Inside Trump’s ICE Recruitment Surge in America

At an ICE recruitment fair in Provo, Utah, hundreds of Americans gathered to apply for jobs in President Donald Trump’s expanded deportation campaign.

The event drew a diverse crowd—though largely white and male—that also included African-American and Hispanic candidates, many of whom cited patriotism, job stability, or personal ties to immigration as motivation.

Applicants ranged from unemployed veterans to private security guards, each highlighting skills they believed would serve the agency’s mission.

With Trump allocating $170 billion to border security and ICE seeking 10,000 new agents, the fair underscored both strong enthusiasm for the effort and lingering controversy.

Some applicants expressed concerns about ICE’s rapid expansion, its shortened training period, and accusations of overreach, while others defended the agency as essential to protecting U.S. culture and wages.