ICE’s extremely online recruitment strategy

An ICE promotion at a major hiring event on August 26, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. | Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

In the last year, ICE has doubled in size – which is all part of President Donald Trunp’s agenda to turbocharge the government’s mass deportation efforts. 

Key takeaways

• ICE is pursuing a “wartime” recruitment strategy to rapidly expand the agency, using aggressive messaging that draws inspiration from memes and video games.
• Internal documents show...