Inside ICE’s recruitment drive: $50K bonuses and fierce opposition

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is stepping up recruitment in a major way, holding job fairs across the U.S. to bring in thousands of new officers.

At a recent event in Arlington, Texas, officials said they aimed to hire 1,000 officers in just two days, offering signing bonuses of up to $50,000. Applicants, including former flight attendants and veterans, said they were motivated by a desire to serve, protect communities, and change public perceptions about ICE’s work.

Supporters point out that ICE operations target drug trafficking, child exploitation, and organized crime, not just deportations.

But outside the fair, protesters rallied against ICE’s role in immigration enforcement, accusing the agency of cruelty and abuse toward immigrant families. The event comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping $170 billion immigration enforcement package that more than doubles ICE’s funding to expand arrests, detention, and deportations nationwide.

With another job fair scheduled in Utah next month, the clash over ICE’s mission is intensifying. For supporters, ICE represents safety and law enforcement careers. For critics, it symbolizes harsh immigration crackdowns.