‘Red flag’ recruits: how record US$75 billion ICE expansion led to questionable hiring

Their backgrounds stand out. And not in a good way.Two bankruptcies and six law enforcement jobs in three years. An allegation of lying in a police report to justify a felony charge against an innocent woman – an incident that led to a US$75,000 settlement and criticism of his integrity.A third job candidate once failed to graduate from a police academy, then lasted only three weeks in his only job as a police officer.Their common bond: all were hired recently by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an unprecedented hiring spree – 12,000 new officers and special agents to double its force – after the agency received a US$75 billion windfall from Congress to enact President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.The president put a premium on swift action, and for ICE that meant rapid-fire recruitment and hiring, which in turn led to new employees with questionable qualifications.Their backgrounds and training have come under scrutiny after numerous high-profile incidents in which ICE agents used excessive force.ICE agents arrest immigrants and asylum seekers reporting for immigration court proceedings in New York on July 24, 2025. Photo: AFP