ICE Unveils $100M 'Wartime Recruitment' Campaign — Geofencing, Influencers and Large Bonuses to Hire Thousands

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has drafted a $100 million, yearlong recruitment campaign described internally as a “wartime recruitment” drive to staff thousands of new deportation-related positions tied to the Trump administration’s next phase of immigration enforcement.

What The Plan Entails

According to an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post, ICE plans targeted digital advertising that uses geofencing to reach audiences near military bases, NASCAR events, gun and trade shows, and college campuses. The memo says the agency will target conservative and pro-gun audiences, military-affairs followers and men’s-interest communities — groups the document refers to as the "MAGA-verse." One ad cited in reporting reportedly reads:

"Want to deport illegals with your absolute boys?"

Officials have also budgeted at least $8 million for partnerships with fitness, military and tactical/lifestyle influencers to promote recruitment through livestreams, events and other content aimed at Gen Z and millennial viewers.

Funding, Incentives and Response

The hiring push follows Congress’s large appropriations for immigration enforcement last summer. The HR 1 package signed into law in July allocated roughly $45 billion for immigration detention and an additional $32 billion for enforcement-related activities and personnel.

ICE is offering substantial financial incentives to recruits, including signing bonuses of up to $50,000 and up to $60,000 in student loan repayment — figures that exceed the U.S. median personal annual income. The agency has reportedly received more than 220,000 applications and extended over 18,000 tentative job offers, sometimes on the spot at recruitment events.

Public Reaction And Expert Concerns

Recruitment events have drawn large crowds. At an ICE hiring fair in Arlington, Texas, more than 100 people reportedly waited outside before the event began. Attendees told The New York Times they were motivated by patriotism and a desire to "guard the homeland." One applicant told the Times, "When I saw Uncle Sam pointing that finger, I just had it in my heart."

Critics and outside experts warn the campaign’s tone and rapid hiring could attract applicants seeking power or confrontation. Americus Reed, a marketing professor at Wharton, told The Washington Post the effort appears designed to reach people "who’ve got something to prove, who want to have that power, under the guise of patriotism." Some citizens have expressed disgust at the ads and the campaign’s messaging.

Enforcement Outlook

Administration officials say more staff will lead to a sharp increase in arrests. White House border czar Tom Homan told Reuters that immigrant arrests will "explode" in 2026, including stepped-up workplace enforcement. That statement followed earlier signals from the administration that it might publicly focus enforcement on people with serious criminal convictions in response to backlash over highly visible operations.

ICE recently held a record number of people in detention — about 68,440 in recent weeks, the majority without criminal convictions. Despite the expanded hiring and funding, the administration has so far carried out roughly 300,000 removals since President Trump’s second inauguration, well short of an initial goal of one million deportations in its first year.

What To Watch

Observers will be watching (1) how ads and influencer partnerships shape public opinion, (2) whether recruitment yields a shift in enforcement tactics, and (3) how courts, advocacy groups and Congress respond to both messaging and operational changes.