By U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has laid out plans for a $100 million recruitment campaign aimed at dramatically expanding its corps of deportation officers, according to internal planning documents and officials familiar with the effort. The initiative is designed to accelerate hiring in support of the Trump administration’s push for large-scale deportations.
The campaign targets prospective recruits with interests in firearms, military service, and conservative media, relying heavily on digital advertising, social media influencers, and precise audience targeting. Internally described as a “wartime recruitment” strategy, the plan reflects the administration’s framing of immigration enforcement as a central national priority.
A key feature of the proposal is the use of “geofencing,” a technique that delivers ads to mobile devices based on physical location. Under the plan, recruitment messages would be directed to people attending mixed martial arts events, motorsports venues, firearms exhibitions, and universities, as well as those visiting armed forces installations. The strategy also emphasizes advertising on platforms popular with younger conservative audiences, including Rumble, alongside mainstream sites such as Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
Officials at the Department of Homeland Security say the effort is necessary to rapidly scale up ICE’s enforcement capacity. The agency currently employs more than 20,000 staff members, but recent legislation has significantly increased funding for enforcement operations, allowing ICE to offer incentives such as large signing bonuses and relaxed age limits for applicants.
Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokeswoman, did not dispute the detailed claims and financial figures provided to The Washington Post and said she was “thrilled to see the Washington Post highlight … [the] wildly successful ICE recruitment campaign, which is under budget and ahead of schedule.” She said the initiative has drawn more than 220,000 applications in recent months, with thousands of provisional offers already extended, adding that the majority of new hires come from law enforcement backgrounds.
Natalia Banulescu-Bogdan, a deputy director at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, said the imagery and messaging echo World War I-era recruitment posters, particularly through the use of patriotic symbols such as Uncle Sam. She noted that while the framing casts immigration enforcement as a matter of national defense, it may downplay practical constraints and community reactions.
Recruitment materials associated with the campaign feature dramatic visuals, references to defending the country from threats, and calls to action modeled on historical wartime messaging. Online ads have included clips from enforcement operations paired with motivational slogans.
DEFEND THE HOMELAND. JOIN ICE NOW.https://t.co/nZkBEj4evQ pic.twitter.com/oRgD3Ttufx
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) October 20, 2025
This Veterans Day, join the mission.
Defend the Homeland.https://t.co/nZkBEj3GGi pic.twitter.com/jHjVHa5lLD
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) November 12, 2025
While portions of the plan — including event sponsorships and broad digital ad placements — have appeared in public bidding notices and online ad libraries, the full scope of the spending and targeting strategy has not been finalized. DHS has not confirmed when the campaign will be fully implemented or whether adjustments will be made to the original outline.
The recruitment push comes as ICE and DHS move to expand deportation operations more broadly, with officials seeking to meet administration targets for annual removals as part of a renewed emphasis on immigration enforcement.
2025 was the first year in over four decades that saw immigrant populations in the United States lower as part of the total population. of the country.
In November, Vice President J.D. Vance talked about how illegal immigration undercuts American wages and raise the cost of housing.
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