<
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/02/immigration-hiring-push-trump-private-army>
"The last time the US dramatically expanded its force of immigration officers,
major problems arose.
Some border agents recruited in the 2000s turned out to be cartel members. One
kidnapped and raped three women in his custody. Two others were convicted of
off-duty murders.
Now, as Donald Trump vows to build “the largest deportation operation” in
history and kicks off a huge recruitment spree, human rights advocates and
former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials are warning that
misconduct and violence by officers could increase as a result.
Bolstered by an unprecedented $170bn in funding for immigration and border
enforcement activities, the DHS is seeking to hire 10,000 new Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (Ice) officers and 3,000 Customs and Border Protection
(CBP) agents by the end of the year.
In its desperate race to staff up and meet the aggressive goal of 3,000
immigration-related arrests a day set by Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen
Miller, the DHS is now advertising substantial incentives for Ice recruits.
That includes a signing bonus of up to $50,000 and as much as $60,000 in
student loan repayment.
It has expanded the officer recruitment age, which was generally 21-40, to all
people 18 and over, and has shortened training periods to get agents in the
field faster.
It has launched a prolific social media campaign, featuring memes and imagery
that critics say echo white supremacist ideologies.
In the past, US officials have repeatedly dismissed misconduct, or even crimes,
by immigration officers as anomalies. Watchdogs, however, argue corruption and
abuse within Ice and CBP is rampant – and that the White House’s hiring tactics
threaten to supercharge problems.
“Abusive practices, misconduct and a sense of impunity have long existed within
these agencies,” said Pedro Rios, director of the American Friends Service
Committee’s US/Mexico border program, which tracks officer misconduct. “There
are systemic problems with accountability … and a culture of violence.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
