ICE loses more than 2,900 agents in 6 months amid Trump's deportation campaign

The expansion of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out President Donald Trump's deportation campaign coexists with a complex reality, namely the unprecedented exodus of hundreds of officers.

According to records, more than 2,900 agents left the agency between January and June 2026, a figure that exceeds that of any full year since this data began being collected in 2012.

Most of the departures were due to resignations and terminations, not retirements, according to an analysis of federal data by USA Today cited by The Washington Examiner. The layoffs recorded in 2026 already exceed the total number recorded during the entire decade leading up to Trump's second term.

These departures come as Washington is allocating billions of dollars to strengthen the agency and its deportation campaign, a priority for the administration. In July 2025, Congress approved a $75 billion appropriation for ICE. The recruitment campaign, which included $50,000 signing bonuses and assistance with paying off student loans, was a resounding success, attracting 220,000 applications.

Between January 2025 and June 2026, the agency hired 12,000 agents, who joined the existing 7,500, according to an analysis by USA Today.

But there were several issues. One of them was that some recruits began working before their background checks were complete, according to accounts gathered by The Washington Examiner. A long-serving agent, who requested anonymity, stated that some of the terminations were due to failed background checks or poor decisions on the job.

A retired official who remains in contact with officials at ICE explained that these reviews can take between three and six months. By then, he noted, the employee may have completed their training and been assigned to a local office.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), however, defended the selection process. In a response to the newspaper, it maintained that it upholds its standards and that the vast majority of agents hired during the expansion have law enforcement experience and have already completed their training at an academy.

“ICE has maintained its exemplary standards, and is hiring the best of the best to get the worst of the worst criminals off of America’s streets. Many of ICE’s new recruits are former law enforcement officers, military or former ICE officers who retired or quit under President Biden because they were frustrated about not being able to do their jobs,” wrote a DHS spokesperson.

The difficulties described by employees also affect those who have been with the agency longer. According to The Washington Examiner, nationwide transfers, assignments to airport checkpoints and overtime lasting for months have contributed to staff burnout.

Added to that burden are changes in detention priorities. The White House even set a goal of 3,000 arrests per day, while DHS directives have alternated between broad enforcement against undocumented immigrants and focusing resources on those with criminal records, according to the report.

Agents also expressed concern for their safety following threats and attacks against federal facilities. Their testimonies describe a workforce facing increased operational demands as the agency attempts to recruit and train thousands of new employees.