ICE Struggling To Hire 10,000 Agents Despite Receiving About 175,000 Applications: Report

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is reportedly struggling to fulfill its goal of hiring 10,000 new agents despite getting some 175,000 applications, according to a new report.

Axios detailed that many recruits are failing the fitness test, while others don't pass tests on immigration law: "I'm concerned that every agent is fully trained in immigration law, Fourth Amendment training," White House border czar Tom Homan told the outlet.

The official went on to say there is also ongoing vetting to remove poor recruits and bad actors. "They're trying to push ... the majority of the vetting up before they're even offered a job," Homan added.

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a different report that 85% of new hires would be "fast-tracked" without undergoing the physical test, though they remain "subject to medical, fitness, and background requirements."

The fitness test, in turn, is administered at ICE's training academy in Brunswick, Georgia, and requires recruits to complete 15 push-ups, 32 sit-ups, and a 1.5-mile run in under 14 minutes. Four ICE officials told the outlet that over a third of trainees have failed, prompting concern among senior staff about the physical readiness of incoming officers.

"It's pathetic," one longtime official told The Atlantic, adding that the agency had already relaxed standards to attract more applicants. An internal email obtained by the outlet described "a considerable amount of athletically allergic candidates" who had misrepresented their fitness levels on application forms.

The agency, which plans to add the 10,000 officers by January, is also offering $50,000 signing bonuses and other incentives such as student-loan forgiveness. Those efforts are funded by more than $76 billion allocated to ICE under Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill — a spending package that dramatically expanded the agency's budget.