DHS, USCIS report record job applications under Trump administration

By Bethany Blankley
The Center Square

A record number of people are applying for jobs wanting to work for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to enforce federal immigration law.

ICE has received “more than 200,000 applications from patriotic Americans who want to help remove murderers, gang members, pedophiles, terrorists, and rapists from the U.S.,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.

ICE is offering a maximum $50,000 signing bonus, student loan repayment and forgiveness options, a 25% Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) for Homeland Security Investigations Special Agents, overtime for ICE Enforcement Removal Operations deportation officers and enhanced retirement benefits.

The record number of applications is up from the record 150,000 applications ICE had received as of September, The Center Square reported.

USCIS has received “an overwhelming” more than 35,000 applications since Sept. 30, the greatest number of any applications it’s received for any position in the agency’s history, it says. It began an “aggressive social media campaign” in late September, which it says “is attracting Americans to join USCIS and restore integrity to the nation’s immigration system after four years of Biden’s border chaos.”

The agency, under the Trump administration, has been focused on identifying immigration fraud, including marriage fraud, visa overstays and visa fraud. One recent investigation uncovered hundreds of cases of immigration fraud in the Minneapolis and St. Paul region, The Center Square reported.

Visa fraud was extensive under the Biden administration, congressional hearings and audits revealed, citing USCIS’s inability to vet applicants. One recent USCIS audit report found that tens of thousands of illegal foreign national juveniles with criminal records were allowed to remain in the U.S. and obtain citizenship contrary to federal law, The Center Square reported. Thousands of them were confirmed gang members, members of foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua and MS-13; hundreds were convicted of sex crimes and murder. Criminal history alone is a disqualifying factor and basis for deportation.

USCIS is tasked with enhancing the security and efficiency of national immigration services “by focusing exclusively on the administration of benefit applications,” it says.

Under the Trump administration, USCIS has also worked to enhance the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement (SAVE) program. So far 26 states are participating in SAVE to ensure only U.S. citizens are voting. They are also using the program to verify immigration status for those seeking benefits, licenses, background investigations and other applications. The Center Square reported.

USCIS has also terminated several Biden administration policies, including automatic extension of employment authorization, mandating electronic payments for applications, and working with federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute asylum and immigration fraud.

It is also “cutting bureaucratic red tape to hire fiercely dedicated, America-first patriots to serve on the front lines and hold the line against terrorists, criminal aliens, and bad actors intent on infiltrating our nation.” Those its hiring will interview foreign nationals and review their applications and identify “criminal or ineligible aliens,” it says.

In addition to the record number of applicants, USCIS is “starting to bring on applicants at a rapid pace,” USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said. “USCIS is not wasting time; we are committed to implementing President Trump’s priorities. These candidates are not just applying for a job – they are applying to guard our values and defend our homeland. I look forward to onboarding many more Homeland Defenders in the coming weeks.”

In less than six weeks, USCIS says it’s made hundreds of job offers and “looks forward to onboarding the first Homeland Defenders soon. Among those receiving offers are former law enforcement personnel and veterans who have experience serving and protecting their communities and our homeland.”

Those applying may be eligible for signing bonuses up to $50,000, student loan repayment, flexible duty locations, and remote work options for select openings, with expedited hiring for entry-level positions that do not require a college degree.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is also offering competitive salaries, locality pay, comprehensive health insurance and enhanced retirement benefits, opportunities for overtime and premium pay, and substantial hiring incentives. CBP and Border Patrol have also reported record number of applications under the Trump administration, The Center Square reported.