Department of Homeland Security deploy An ICE officer shot and killed a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday in the largest such enforcement operation in U.S. history, killing more than 2,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and agents.
The shooting was just one of several deadly incidents since ICE ramped up mass deportations last year and raised questions about how police are trained, especially as the Department of Homeland Security has dodged questions about the process while more than doubling the number of its agents since 2024. Big money from the BEAUTY Act fuels hiring efforts as taxpayers find themselves funding immigration enforcement hiring on an unprecedented scale.
Federal officers also reportedly killed at least three other people Marshall PlanAccording to reports, at least nine people have been shot dead since September new york times.
Experts warn that while the number of ICE agents has surged to more than 22,000 agents, more than doubling from where it was at the beginning of 2025, its “wartime recruitment” strategy could lure people hungry for combat or inexperienced to the job.
Recruitment strategy received over 200,000 applications
Last summer, the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to hire 10,000 deportation officers using what they internally called “wartime recruiting,” according to an internal document reviewed by the department. washington post.
ICE officials reportedly plan to spend $100 million over the course of a year to recruit gun rights and military support through influencer and geo-targeted advertising campaigns. post. The funding is part of $1.7 billion allocated to border and domestic enforcement, including $75 billion for ICE, and will be spent over four years.
According to internal documents reviewed, the department’s strategy dedicated $8 million to influencers, including “former agents, veterans and pro-ICE creators” as well as Gen Z and Millennial audiences. Post. DHS plans to work with creators on traditional social media platforms like Facebook to Instagramand X and platforms with more conservative users, such as Rumble. The Department of Homeland Security expects their influencers to generate more than 5,000 applications.
except one salary Ranging from $49,739 to $89,528 per year, DHS offers signing bonus allocations of up to $50,000 over three years, student loan repayment and forgiveness options of up to $60,000, and retirement benefits.
ICE also reportedly uses a marketing tactic called “geofencing” to send ads to mobile phone web browsers and social media of anyone located near military bases, NASCAR races, college campuses or gun and trade shows. post.
“The hiring program leverages data-driven outreach efforts to recruit qualified, patriotic Americans from across the country. As a result, ICE is able to exceed its hiring surge goals while maintaining rigorous training and readiness standards,” the agency wrote in a statement on January 3.
ICE did not respond to a request for comment.
Former ICE Director Sarah Saldaña recently said Post She worries that the pace of hiring and marketing that treats jobs as a war effort increases the risk of attracting people seeking combat experience.
The department received more than 220,000 applications and hired 12,000 new officers in four months. Despite meeting personnel goals, DHS is still recruiting more officers.
“We continue to call on American patriots to serve their country because we know there is more work to do — and we will not stop until every community in this country is safe,” ICE Deputy Director Madison D. Sheahan said in a statement.
Officer training questioned
Renee Nicole Macklin Good was shot inside her car as ICE agents approached her car and asked her to open the door, according to video captured by a bystander. An ICE officer shot her at close range and was briefly hospitalized after the vehicle struck him.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the officer who killed McClain Goode, saying the officer “followed his training.” President Donald Trump doubled down on Wednesday, calling video of the shooting “creepy” but saying McClain Goode “acted badly” and knocked the agent down despite video evidence dispute That claim.
All new ICE agents are required to undergo an eight-week basic immigration enforcement training program, during which they spend six days a week at an agency in Georgia learning to locate, apprehend and deport people. In the past, ICE officers received a five-week Spanish training program and a 16-week basic training, according to ICE website.
The shooting followed months of accusations by advocacy groups of unprofessional and inappropriate behavior. According to reports, even though a federal judge ordered ICE officers to wear personal badges, officers were still seen without them. this chicago sun times. Some recruits participate in training not fully reviewedfailed a drug test, physical or academic standards, and failed to disclose a criminal background.
A senior Department of Homeland Security official told nbc news ICE officers were trained Wednesday to never approach a vehicle from the front and never shoot at a moving vehicle because it will not stop the vehicle from moving toward the officer.
Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) filed articles of impeachment against Noem on Wednesday.
“Secretary Noem wreaked havoc in the Chicago area, and now her rogue ICE agents are wreaking the same havoc in Minneapolis, shooting and killing Renee Nicole Good,” Kelly wrote in a statement announcing the move. “Incompetence and dangerousness are one thing, but undermining the rule of law is impeachable.”