ICE Announces Workforce Doubled to 22,000 Agents Through "Defend Your Culture" Recruitment Campaign

ICE announced its workforce more than doubled from 10,000 to 22,000 agents in less than a year, crediting the unprecedented recruitment campaign launched under the “Stronger Border, Stronger America” initiative. DHS received over 150,000 applications from what it called “patriotic Americans.”

Recruitment Tactics: The campaign used “Call of Duty”-style recruitment videos featuring helmet camera footage, dramatic music, and military aesthetics. Per leaked DHS documents, ads targeted:

• Gun show attendees (geo-fencing)
• UFC fight viewers
• “Patriotic podcast” listeners
• People with “interest in guns and tactical gear”
• “Conservative-leaning” lifestyles
• Military and veterans’ affairs interests

Messaging:

• “America has been invaded by criminals and predators. We need YOU to get them out.”
• “Protect your homeland and defend your culture.”
• “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, we’ve reclaimed our border, secured our nation, and have begun to deport these foreign invaders.”
• References to Halo video game and Sicario film

Criticism:

• CNN described videos as “propaganda” with “militaristic action” content
• Critics said campaign “would only attract MAGA radicals”
• Long Beach, California transit removed ICE recruitment ads, apologized for “uncertainty and fear”
• Pop artists Sabrina Carpenter (“evil and disgusting”), Olivia Rodrigo (“racist, hateful propaganda”), and MGMT issued copyright takedowns after their music was used
• The Intercept reported DHS shifted to “niche, neo-Nazi-beloved music” after mainstream artists objected

Significance: The recruitment campaign represents the endpoint of the Gamergate-to-government pipeline: using gaming culture aesthetics, aggressive demographic targeting, and “defend your culture” messaging to build a workforce predisposed to aggressive enforcement. Four days after this announcement, one of the newly recruited agents killed American citizen Renee Good in Minneapolis.