Two Charts Show How Trump Transformed ICE into a Militarized Immigration Force.
The U.S. government has increased its spending on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to $4.8 billion, making it one of the agency's largest annual budgets. The funding boost comes from a reconciliation package passed last year by Congress, which included a provision that increased the agency's budget for the next 10 years.
The influx of new money has been used primarily for recruitment and hiring purposes, resulting in a massive increase in the number of agents working for ICE. According to data from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), ICE's workforce has grown by over 5,000 since November last year, pushing its total number of employees to almost 27,000.
The transformation of ICE into a more militarized force is reflected in the rise of aggressive recruitment tactics and a decrease in training standards. The agency now uses a 42-day training course for new recruits instead of the five-month course previously used. This has resulted in concerns about the thoroughness of background checks and paperwork processes, with some individuals claiming to have been marked as having accepted job offers without completing any necessary steps.
The increased focus on hiring and aggressive recruitment strategies has also led to a surge in bonuses for new agents, up to $50,000 for ICE employees. This has created an incentive for the agency to meet its lofty hiring goals, even if it means taking shortcuts in the process.
The U.S. government has increased its spending on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to $4.8 billion, making it one of the agency's largest annual budgets. The funding boost comes from a reconciliation package passed last year by Congress, which included a provision that increased the agency's budget for the next 10 years.
The influx of new money has been used primarily for recruitment and hiring purposes, resulting in a massive increase in the number of agents working for ICE. According to data from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), ICE's workforce has grown by over 5,000 since November last year, pushing its total number of employees to almost 27,000.
The transformation of ICE into a more militarized force is reflected in the rise of aggressive recruitment tactics and a decrease in training standards. The agency now uses a 42-day training course for new recruits instead of the five-month course previously used. This has resulted in concerns about the thoroughness of background checks and paperwork processes, with some individuals claiming to have been marked as having accepted job offers without completing any necessary steps.
The increased focus on hiring and aggressive recruitment strategies has also led to a surge in bonuses for new agents, up to $50,000 for ICE employees. This has created an incentive for the agency to meet its lofty hiring goals, even if it means taking shortcuts in the process.
I mean, who wouldn't want to join a organization that's basically been turned into a special forces unit? 
5,000 new agents in just 6 months is wild, especially when you consider they're not exactly known for their subtlety. And let's be real, if you're worried about someone not doing the proper paperwork, maybe it's because they're too busy getting a $50k bonus? 
It's like the agency is saying "Hey, we've got this immigration thing under control, just bring us more people!" 
. It feels like we're trading in compassion for a more "tough on crime" approach, and that's gotta have some unintended consequences down the line. And what's up with all these new agents? A 42-day training course seems pretty hasty to me... I mean, aren't we still gonna be dealing with the same issues of immigration reform and policy? It just feels like we're trying to paper over problems instead of tackling them head-on 
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so the US government is basically turning ICE into a super militarized immigration force now? like I get it, they wanna deal with the border situation, but 5k new agents in just 42 days? that's crazy talk! And the training? 5 months to 42 days? what's the rush? and those bonuses? $50k for getting hired? that's a pretty big incentive to cut some corners, you feel me? it's like they're playing a game of "fill the ranks" with no regard for the process 
. And what's up with this militarized vibe? ICE wasn't always like this 
I'm not saying it's all bad, but come on, let's make sure these new recruits are vetted properly before sending them out into the wild 
. We need to balance security with fairness and due process here...
. it's crazy how fast ice has changed into this militarized force. what really gets me is that they're sacrificing training and background checks for the sake of meeting hiring goals. it's like they're putting people's lives at risk just to meet a quota 
. and those bonuses? 
. I mean who needs training when you can just throw a bunch of newbies at the situation? Like, what's next? A 42-day boot camp before sending them out to deal with actual problems? And those bonuses? Great way to attract people who are all about the benjamins over doing their jobs right...
and I gotta say, it's super concerning that they're basically turning into a militarized force 
. 5k new agents is crazy! and the fact that they're using such aggressive recruitment tactics is just red flag territory 
. what's next? them gonna start using armed drones to patrol the border?! 
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. I'm all for efficiency, but this doesn't feel like it's being done in a responsible or sustainable way 
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. We need to make sure that our immigration system is fair and humane, not just a means to an end 
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! They're basically turning our immigration system into a big ol' army 
. I'm all about keeping our country safe, but come on, 42-day training courses? That's not exactly thorough 
. And those bonuses? $50k for new agents? That's crazy 
It feels like they're more focused on recruiting new troops than actually doing their job to help people who are lost or in need. I hope someone looks into this ASAP 
and I'm worried about how this is gonna affect people's rights 
it's all just getting really concerning...
they're basically just selling out their integrity for a quick buck. $50k bonuses for new recruits? talk about creating an incentive for shortcuts 
, it's wild how they're just outsourcing their immigration problems and making new agents do 42 days of basic training lol what's next a military uniform?! And $50k bonuses for joining? that's crazy how desperate they are to fill the ranks, wonder if they'll be using their fancy new equipment to protect us or just break up more families 
. But seriously, this just feels like a recipe for disaster. They're cutting corners and throwing money at the problem without actually fixing the underlying issues. And what's up with these 42-day training courses? That's not even a real thing