Planet Money

The ICE hiring boom

February 25, 2026

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  • The unprecedented hiring boom at ICE, which more than doubled its ranks through aggressive recruitment tactics like large signing bonuses, has led to scrutiny over the training and conduct of new officers. 
  • There is contradictory information regarding the training duration for new ICE recruits, with some sources indicating a reduction to 14 weeks, which is shorter than the national average for law enforcement, and a replacement of Spanish instruction with translation services. 
  • The expansion of ICE detention centers, funded by billions of dollars, is creating economic lifelines in small, economically depressed towns like Folkestone, Georgia, leading to a moral conflict between local economic needs and the nature of the facilities. 

Segments

ICE Hiring Boom Context
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(00:00:22)
  • Key Takeaway: ICE experienced an unprecedented hiring boom, adding 12,000 new agents and officers, which more than doubled its ranks.
  • Summary: The Department of Homeland Security reported 12,000 new agents and officers joined ICE in the last year. This aggressive recruitment included waiving age requirements and offering signing bonuses up to $50,000. The agency is now one of the fastest growing and most scrutinized workplaces in the country.
Training Protocols and Concerns
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(00:03:10)
  • Key Takeaway: A former FLETC instructor noted that standard crowd control training emphasizes non-engagement with protesters, protocols not seen in circulating videos of federal agents.
  • Summary: Mark Brown, a former instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) near Brunswick, Georgia, detailed training that stressed avoiding engagement with protesters during arrests. He expressed concern that recent videos of federal agents suggest these protocols are not being followed by newly recruited ICE or CBP agents.
Contradictory Training Hour Claims
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(00:04:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Official DHS statements claim training hours remain the same, but data suggests new ICE recruits receive 14 weeks of training, fewer than previously and shorter than the national law enforcement average.
  • Summary: DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated officers receive the same number of training hours, yet DHS data shows new ICE recruits get 14 weeks of training. This is fewer weeks than ICE agents previously received and is shorter than the national average for state and local law enforcement officers.
Impact of Field Training Officers
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(00:05:57)
  • Key Takeaway: Research indicates that new law enforcement recruits are significantly more likely to use force if paired with an aggressive field training officer, suggesting implicit modeling outweighs formal training.
  • Summary: Matthew Ross noted concern over the quality of field training, where new officers learn on the job from experienced ones. Studies from the Dallas Police Department showed recruits paired with aggressive field training officers were more likely to use force for at least three years afterward. Policing expert Seth Stoughton suggests supervisor and peer expectations can override formal training.
Accountability and Legal Risk
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(00:08:12)
  • Key Takeaway: The administration’s approach to accountability is perceived as performative, removing a key incentive for agents to act professionally, which financial penalties alone are unlikely to correct.
  • Summary: Economist Matthew Ross anticipates multiple lawsuits over the immigration crackdown tactics. He argues that ICE’s performative accountability removes a critical incentive for agents to act professionally. Financial incentives are unlikely to motivate change when the agency views legal settlements as merely the cost of doing business.
Detention Center Expansion and Funding
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(00:09:51)
  • Key Takeaway: The Trump administration plans to spend over $38 billion on building and expanding detention facilities nationwide to meet the goal of detaining about 93,000 immigrants simultaneously.
  • Summary: The administration is building and expanding huge detention centers, often in small, economically depressed towns, to handle increased interior enforcement. DHS secured over $38 billion from the ‘Big Beautiful bill’ for these construction and expansion projects. The goal is to achieve a detention capacity of approximately 93,000 people at any given time.
Folkestone, Georgia Economic Impact
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(00:13:07)
  • Key Takeaway: In Folkestone, Georgia, the ICE detention center, run by the GEO Group, provides essential jobs and local revenue to a rural community struggling with poverty, despite moral objections from some residents.
  • Summary: Folkestone, a rural community with high poverty, relies on the ICE facility, which was converted from a closed state prison. The expansion added about 200 jobs with decent wages and benefits, and provides the county and city about a million dollars annually. Local leaders view this as an economic lifeline, even while acknowledging the human cost and policy instability.