The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unveiled Wednesday that it is lifting all age restrictions for new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recruits as the Trump administration seeks to bolster its immigration crackdown efforts.
"We and ENDING the age cap for ICE law enforcement," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. "Qualified candidates can now apply with no age limit."
Prior to the announcement, ICE agents were required to be at least 21 years of age and no older than 37 or 40, depending on the position they applied for. Noem said in an interview with Fox News that people as young as 18 could now apply.
It comes just a week after ICE launched a new campaign to attract new recruits, with incentives including $50,000 signing bonuses, student loan relief and forgiveness options, as well as the promise of premium pay and enhanced retirement benefits.
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“Your country is calling you to serve at ICE,” Noem said. “This is a defining moment in our nation’s history. Your skills, your experience, and your courage have never been more essential. Together, we must defend the homeland.”
The hiring push is all part of a cash infusion from President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act— which as signed into law last month — and includes over $76 billion for ICE, nearly 10 times its current annual budget.
The legislation allocates billions of dollars for ICE to grow its deportation operations, including the hiring of 10,000 new ICE agents to help the Trump administration meet its goal of 1 million annual deportations.
Some law enforcement officials, however, speculate that the hiring push could signal that ICE is struggling to recruit, particularly because many other law enforcement agencies are also struggling to attract new hires, and ICE has a more controversial mission.
