President Trump‘s domestic policy bill included $165 billion in appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security. According to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, a portion of the funds will help “to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens” in the United States.
Noem, who said in June that she plans to hire 10,000 new ICE agents, last week issued a recruitment campaign on social media featuring photos of her wearing an ICE vest and President Trump saluting, see below.
Your country needs you—now more than ever.
Defend the homeland!
https://t.co/2qxjPPgvfv pic.twitter.com/ZJVlOWlTdS— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) July 30, 2025
Today, the DHS announced in a press release: “In less than one week since DHS launched its recruitment campaign, more than 80,000 Americans applied to join ICE.”
It also revealed that Noem has lifted age limits for new applicants, “so even more patriots will qualify to join ICE.” Prior to the announcement, ICE was accepting applications from those 21 to 37 years old.
Note: All ICE law enforcement recruits are required to go through medical screening, drug screening, and complete a physical fitness test. Those selected to serve are offered:
- A maximum $50,000 signing bonus
- Student loan repayment and forgiveness options
- 25% Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) for Special Agents
- Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime (AUI) for Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) Deportation Officers
- Enhanced retirement benefits
LEAP compensation allows for “unscheduled duty” pay of up to 25% of regular salary, an acknowledgement of the “irregular hours” required by the job.