The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is reportedly grappling with widespread burnout and frustration among its personnel as they struggle to keep up with the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement agenda. Despite receiving record funding and new authority to conduct raids, agents are contending with long hours, high daily arrest quotas, and growing public outrage over their tactics.
The Toll of High-Pressure Enforcement
According to interviews with two current and nine former ICE officials, the administration’s demand for high daily arrest quotas, sometimes as high as 3,000 arrests a day, is taking a significant toll. This is a dramatic increase compared to the daily arrest rate under former President Joe Biden. The push for numbers has led to the detention of thousands of individuals with no criminal record, as well as some with legal visas or even U.S. citizenship.
Some specialized ICE investigative agents, who typically focus on serious crimes like human trafficking and transnational gangs, have expressed frustration at being reassigned to routine immigration enforcement. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, acknowledged the stress on agents but defended the policies, citing the president’s declaration of a national emergency.
Public Backlash and Recruitment Drive
The public response to ICE’s tactics has been increasingly negative. Viral videos on social media show masked agents in tactical gear making arrests in neighborhoods, at worksites, and outside schools, fueling public anger. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in August showed that Trump’s public approval rating on immigration had fallen as Americans took a dimmer view of his heavy-handed approach.
In an effort to alleviate the strain and meet its goals, ICE has launched an ambitious recruitment drive with slogans like “America needs you.” The agency, with the backing of a $75 billion Republican-supported spending package, aims to hire 10,000 new officers over the next four years. To attract new talent, ICE is offering incentives such as signing bonuses of up to $50,000 and has even removed age limits for new applicants. However, officials acknowledge that the hiring process will likely take months or years to fully staff the agency and ease the pressure on current personnel.