Since President Donald Trump began his second term, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have found themselves on the frontlines of what many describe as a punishing enforcement agenda. Buoyed by an unprecedented $75 billion in funding, the agency has dramatically increased daily arrests—a surge that has come with a steep human price: widespread burnout, plummeting morale, and frustration within the ranks.
Data obtained by Reuters reveals that average daily arrests of non-criminal migrants jumped from 80 under President Biden to 221 during Trump’s first six months in office. Aggravating the issue, only about 69% of those detained had any criminal conviction; the remainder were apprehended solely for immigration-related violations . Agents say this shift away from serious criminal investigations toward mass detentions—including long-term green card holders, visa holders, and even some U.S. citizens—has fundamentally altered ICE’s mission and morale.
Specialized investigative agents, previously dedicated to cases involving human trafficking and transnational gangs, have been reassigned to basic immigration enforcement. This redeployment has frustrated agents who feel their training and skills have been sidelined in favor of meeting politically driven arrest targets . Such shifts haven’t gone unnoticed by agents themselves, who reportedly fear retaliation or reassignment if they fail to meet these numbers—a concern magnified by frequent leadership turnover within the agency.
Public backlash has further intensified the pressure. Social media is awash with videos showing masked ICE agents arresting migrants in neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and even outside churches—enforcement scenarios that have sparked public outrage and heightened scrutiny over civil liberties . These confrontations often put agents in emotionally charged situations, with some being chased out of communities by angry residents questioning their actions.
Operational lapses have also emerged under the urgency to meet quotas. Reliance on artificial intelligence leads has led some agents to execute flawed raids, occasionally targeting incorrect addresses and risking wrongful arrests. One agent described the expectations as “unrealistic,” noting that the pressure compromised both safety and effectiveness.
In response to overextended staff and mounting criticism, ICE has initiated an aggressive recruitment campaign aimed at hiring 10,000 new officers over four years—backed by the extraordinary funding package mentioned earlier. This drive has employed wartime-style messaging and a social-media blitz to attract applicants; more than 115,000 people have reportedly applied, though immediate relief for existing agents appears unlikely.
