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United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are at the center of the national discussion on the Trump administration’s immigration efforts, with the agency set to receive billions more dollars in the coming months.
With plans to hire about 10,000 new ICE agents in the next four years, the White House is hoping to attract new talent through a series of benefits and incentives.
Newsweek reached out to ICE for comment via email Friday morning.
Why It Matters
ICE is set to become the highest-funded part of federal government law enforcement, with a tripled yearly budget of about $30 million. While funds are pumped into an agency that has claimed to be stretched for several years, actions of its officers—old and new—are coming under increasing scrutiny.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
What To Know
President Donald Trump‘s reconciliation bill set out in detail how extra funding will be used, with performance, retention and signing bonuses available for ICE agents and other new recruits across immigration enforcement.
The new funding will aid the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as it runs job fairs across the country, seeking to hire 10,000 new agents.
How Much Do ICE Agents Earn?
The government hiring website, USA Jobs, currently has openings for Deportation Officers, with vacancies in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.
Salaries are being advertised as between $49,739 and $89,528 per year, with ICE stating that pay can be increased through overtime, as well as location-dependent additions.
Will ICE Agents Get a Raise?
It was not clear if salaries will increase overall, but DHS has said that agents are set for a bonus.
Existing agents, along with those with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), will get a $10,000 yearly bonus for the next four years. New agents will also get signing bonuses, similar to those introduced for Border Patrol officers under the Biden administration.
The new budget also included provisions for additional bonuses, with agents able to receive extra pay for their performance, as well as for their commitment to an additional two years with the agency.
What Other Benefits Do ICE Agents Receive?
ICE staff, including agents, also receive benefits in line with other government workers.
They are entitled to health, dental, vision, life and long-term care insurance, along with retirement plans and flexible spending accounts.
Staff are able to receive between 13 and 26 days of annual leave, along with paid personal leave and federal holidays.
What People Are Saying
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in a July 4 press release: “This $165 billion in funding will help the Department of Homeland Security and our brave law enforcement further deliver on President Trump’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!”
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, in a statement on July 3: “I speak on behalf of the entire agency when I say that ICE is grateful to President Trump for putting in the hard work necessary to get the Big Beautiful Bill across the finish line – but the real win is for the American people. The unprecedented funding for ICE will enable my hard-working officers and agents to continue making America safe again by identifying, arresting and removing criminal aliens from our communities. I’m thrilled to work with Secretary Noem, Congress and the president to protect our families, friends and neighbors.”
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, on X, formerly Twitter: “With this vote, Congress makes ICE the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency in history, with more money per year at its disposal over the next four years than the budgets of the FBI, DEA, ATF, US Marshals, and Bureau of Prisons combined.”
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, on BlueSky: “I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ICE. This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion – making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA, & others combined.”
What Happens Next
DHS is expected to continue recruitment through the summer, at least, with the Trump administration promising to hire enough agents and staff to deliver on the president’s promise to deport about 1 million immigrants per year.
