Internal planning documents outline a one-year, nationwide push to hire thousands of new removal officers as part of President Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is preparing a $100 million, one-year “wartime recruitment” campaign designed to dramatically expand its deportation force, targeting military-adjacent communities, gun-rights supporters, and conservative audiences through a sweeping mix of digital advertising, influencers, and event sponsorships, according to an internal strategy document disclosed this week.
The plan is intended to accelerate President Donald Trump’s call for mass deportations by saturating recruitment channels and media networks nationwide, according to a 30-page memo cited by The Washington Post, which reported that the document circulated among officials earlier this year but only recently came to light.
Campaign visuals outlined in the memo include Uncle Sam imagery alongside posters featuring Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Deputy ICE Director Madison Sheahan, urging potential recruits to “Defend the Homeland.” DHS has already publicly promoted plans to expand ICE staffing by more than 10,000 employees, amplifying the effort on social media with language describing immigration enforcement as a “sacred duty” and framing illegal immigration as a national security threat.
The newly revealed memo details a broad strategy to “flood the market” with targeted digital advertising, influencer partnerships, and livestream promotions across platforms such as Rumble and Snapchat. A central tactic is the use of “geofencing,” which would deliver recruitment ads directly to phones, browsers, and social media feeds of individuals deemed receptive to ICE messaging.
According to the document, recruitment efforts would be concentrated near military bases, at NASCAR races, on college campuses, and at gun shows and trade events. The strategy followed an ICE request for contractor bids seeking precise audience targeting, performance media management, and results-driven creative campaigns. During the same period, DHS awarded nearly $40 million to two marketing firms to support recruitment efforts, federal awards records show.
Recruitment advertisements placed on television, radio, podcasts, and in print direct viewers to the ICE hiring website, which declares, “America has been invaded by criminals and predators,” beneath an image of Uncle Sam, followed by the line, “We need YOU to get them out.”
Sarah Saldaña, who led ICE during the Obama administration, said the approach differs sharply from the agency’s historical recruitment practices. In the past, she said, ICE primarily filled vacancies by recruiting from local police and sheriff’s departments and appealing to candidates interested in federal law enforcement careers.
Saldaña said she is concerned the new messaging could attract applicants seeking combat-style action. “You bring in a certain aggressiveness that may not be necessary in 85% of what you do,” she said.
Americus Reed, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, compared the plan to the military’s former “Army of One” campaign. “They’re aiming for that sweet spot of people who’ve got something to prove, who want to have that power, under the guise of patriotism,” Reed said.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin did not dispute the claims presented in the report and said she welcomed the attention on what she described as a successful effort. McLaughlin said DHS has received more than 220,000 applications in the past five months and has extended job offers to more than 18,000 candidates, adding that over 85% of new hires have prior law enforcement experience.
As part of the recruitment push, ICE has eliminated age limits for certain positions and is offering signing bonuses of up to $50,000. Federal job postings show many deportation officer salaries range from approximately $50,000 to $90,000 annually.
The memo calls for expanded lifestyle- and interest-based advertising aimed at people engaged in physical training, conservative media, and right-leaning politics, including audiences described as interested in conservative thought leaders, gun-rights organizations, and tactical gear brands. It projects that more than 5,000 applicants could be generated through an “ICE influencer” initiative at an estimated cost of about $1,500 per applicant.
Additional spending is planned for ads on gaming consoles, connected televisions, streaming platforms, billboards, mobile trucks, and newspapers. The memo identifies New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Chicago, and Boston — cities that experienced major ICE enforcement operations and protests in 2025 — as priority recruiting locations.
The largest single hiring target, up to 1,000 removal officers, is assigned to the ICE field office in New Orleans, reflecting Louisiana’s large immigration detention population, second only to Texas, according to the document.
ICE has also conducted hiring events nationwide, and the strategy calls for recruitment tied to major sports and entertainment gatherings, including the NASCAR Cook Out Southern 500 in South Carolina, a December UFC Fight Night event in Las Vegas, and a sponsorship at the National Finals Rodeo.
Original article
Comments