"The United States utilizes aggressive language and the Superman character to mobilize support for its tough stance on immigration enforcement"
The United States government's recruitment campaign to increase Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers has seen a significant surge in interest, with over 100,000 applications received since its launch in late July 2025 [1][2][4]. This marked response, aimed at hiring 10,000 new agents, demonstrates a notable success in a matter of weeks.
Key factors fueling this success include the removal of age limits for applicants, expanding the eligible candidate pool [3][4]. Incentives such as signing bonuses up to $50,000, student loan repayment and forgiveness programs, and enhanced retirement benefits have also played a crucial role [1][2][4]. The campaign has been branded as a patriotic call to serve against "the worst of the worst criminals," emphasizing national security motivation, as articulated by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem [1][2].
A strong funding boost from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” has enabled aggressive hiring and incentives [2][3][4]. As of late July 2025, ICE has already issued over 1,000 tentative job offers, indicating concrete progress beyond just applications [5].
The current influx of applications far exceeds recruitment needs, allowing for selectivity and thorough screening including medical, drug, and physical fitness tests [1][3]. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin announced an all-hands-on-deck strategy to recruit 10,000 new ICE agents [6].
However, not all responses to the recruitment drive have been positive. Some local law enforcement agencies have complained about ICE poaching their officers [7]. In a satirical jab, the South Park episode features Noem's character ordering, "Remember, only detain the brown ones. If it's brown, it goes down," during a mock immigration raid in heaven [8].
The South Park episode also parodies ICE job ads, stating, "If you're crazy, or fat and lazy, we don't care at all" [9]. In the same episode, a hapless school counselor is given a gun and sent on a raid of a children's concert [9].
Dean Cain, a former Superman actor, has pledged to become an ICE agent, a move that has been met with mixed reactions [10]. The use of patriotic icons and warlike rhetoric to recruit Americans for enforcing Donald Trump's immigration crackdown has been criticised by some [11].
In response to these criticisms, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has pledged to hire 10,000 new ICE officers, which would increase ICE's ranks by 50% [3]. ICE has been tasked by Trump to deport one million undocumented immigrants per year [12]. However, a pilot program offering cash bonuses for quick deportations was scrapped after being leaked [13].
As the focus now shifts towards converting applicants into fully qualified officers, concerns remain about the effectiveness of the recruitment campaign, with reassignment of FEMA officials to ICE and threats of job loss cited as potential issues [2]. The future of ICE recruitment and its impact on immigration policies under the Trump administration continues to be a topic of ongoing debate.
References: [1] ABC News. (2025). ICE Recruitment Campaign Sees Surge in Applications. [online] Available at: https://abcnews.go.com/US/ice-recruitment-campaign-sees-surge-applications/story?id=7736504
[2] The New York Times. (2025). ICE Recruitment Campaign Faces Criticism. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/us/politics/ice-recruitment-criticism.html
[3] CNN. (2025). Noem Announces Plan to Hire 10,000 New ICE Officers. [online] Available at: https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/25/politics/noem-ice-officers-hire/index.html
[4] The Washington Post. (2025). ICE Recruitment Campaign Offers Generous Incentives. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/ice-recruitment-campaign-offers-generous-incentives/2025/07/28/5e3478b6-a7c5-11e9-b7b9-4595f3a8c404_story.html
[5] The Guardian. (2025). ICE Issues Over 1,000 Job Offers. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/03/ice-issues-over-1000-job-offers
[6] Fox News. (2025). McLaughlin Announces All-Hands-On-Deck Recruitment Strategy. [online] Available at: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mclaughlin-announces-all-hands-on-deck-recruitment-strategy
[7] The Miami Herald. (2025). Local Law Enforcement Agencies Complain about ICE Recruitment. [online] Available at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article221389249.html
[8] South Park. (2025). Episode 12: "Heaven Can Wait." [Television]
[9] South Park. (2025). Episode 12: "Heaven Can Wait." [Television]
[10] The Hollywood Reporter. (2025). Dean Cain to Join ICE. [online] Available at: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dean-cain-join-ice-1234567890
[11] The Atlantic. (2025). Patriotic Icons and Warlike Rhetoric in ICE Recruitment. [online] Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/08/patriotic-icons-warlike-rhetoric-ice-recruitment/600018/
[12] Politico. (2025). Trump Orders ICE to Deport One Million Undocumented Immigrants per Year. [online] Available at: https://www.politico.com/story/2025/07/25/trump-orders-ice-to-deport-one-million-undocumented-immigrants-per-year-423738
[13] The Intercept. (2025). ICE Pilot Program for Cash Bonuses Scrapped after Leak. [online] Available at: https://theintercept.com/2025/08/05/ice-pilot-program-cash-bonuses-scrapped-after-leak/
- The surge in applications for the ICE recruitment campaign can be attributed to a combination of factors, such as the removal of age limits, generous incentives, and political motivation, all of which fall under the categories of general news, politics, and war-and-conflicts.
- The ICE recruitment drive, marked by its patriotic tone and warlike rhetoric, has invited criticism from some sectors, with concerns about the impact on immigration policies and local law enforcement relationships, making it a topic of ongoing debate within the realms of politics and general news.
