Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency’s latest television advertisement campaign has reportedly failed to draw even a single police officer from the Denver region, according to CBS News.
The advertisement, which urged local law enforcement to “join ICE” and help enforce federal immigration laws, was met with swift pushback from Denver officials.
Why It Matters
The Department of Homeland Security has rolled out a nationwide hiring campaign to bolster ICE’s ranks, pointing to a growing need for officers to carry out enforcement and deportation duties. So far, DHS says the agency has drawn more than 150,000 applications from across the country, with over 18,000 candidates receiving tentative job offers. To attract recruits, ICE is offering a range of incentives, including signing bonuses of up to $50,000, student loan repayment programs, and other financial perks aimed at drawing both new applicants and experienced officers back into service.
What To Know
A spokesperson for the Denver Police Department told CBS News Colorado that the ad campaign has had no effect on staffing levels, noting that the department’s pay scale outpaces ICE’s top signing bonuses, even though DPD does not offer bonuses of its own.
The ad is now running on multiple Denver television stations, including CBS Colorado.
The backlash in Denver, a city that has frequently clashed with ICE over “sanctuary” policies, is emblematic of a broader tension in how ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are attempting to expand their ranks. Across the United States, ICE is pursuing a sweeping hiring campaign backed by large infusions of funding and aggressive recruitment incentives.
As part of its recruitment campaign, ICE is offering a range of incentives for prospective law enforcement personnel. These include a 25 percent Law Enforcement Availability Pay for HSI Special Agents. Enforcement and Removal Operations officers are eligible for Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime, and all recruits can access enhanced retirement benefits, per a DHS news release.
Meanwhile, DHS reported in a press release that its recent Career Expo in Provo, Utah, drew more than 1,500 registrants interested in law enforcement and support roles.
According to the agency, many attendees had already begun the application process prior to the event and used the expo to complete required steps such as drug testing and fingerprinting. The in-person format was designed to streamline the process by allowing applicants to address multiple requirements in a single location.
ICE has also announced that it will no longer enforce age limits for new applicants, broadening the pool of candidates eligible to apply, according to DHS.
All prospective recruits must still complete standard requirements, including medical and drug screenings, as well as a physical fitness test.
What People Are Saying
DPD spokesman told CBS News Colorado: “Per our knowledge, we have not lost any officers to ICE as part of their new signing and retention bonus program. However, if you do a side-by-side comparison of the lowest starting salaries, new DPD officers earn nearly $22,000 more annually than new ICE deportation officers, and Denver Police officer wages increase significantly each year to the point that, currently, officers earn more than $110,000 annually just four years after graduating from our Academy.”
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a press release: “ICE has received more than 150,000 applications from patriotic Americans who want to defend the homeland by removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from the U.S. We have already issued more than 18,000 tentative job offers. Americans are answering their country’s call to serve and help remove murderers, pedophiles, rapists, terrorists, and gang members from our country.”
What Happens Next
DHS is expected to continue its’ recruitment drive as it looks to expand its workforce in an effort to fulfill President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge of widespread deportations.
