<p>Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is experiencing higher employee turnover rates under President Donald Trump than at any point in the agency’s history. In the first half of 2026, thousands of ICE employees left, primarily due to resignations and terminations, according to federal data reviewed by USA Today.</p>
<p>Employees conveyed to the Washington Examiner that many hired prior to Trump’s second term were leaving or being terminated due to perceived mismanagement within the agency, including inadequate training and vetting processes for new officers.</p>
<h2>A revolving door</h2>
<p>The Republican-controlled Congress funded ICE with $75 billion in July 2025, which enabled the agency to hire 10,000 new deportation officers. ICE reported receiving 220,000 applications after offering college loan repayment and $50,000 sign-on bonuses. Between January 2025 and June 2026, ICE hired 12,000 officers to support Trump’s mass deportation campaign, in addition to the existing 7,500 officers.</p>
<p>Between January and June 2026, more than 2,900 officers left the agency, marking the highest turnover in any 12-month period since 2012, when the White House Office of Personnel Management began tracking this data. Terminations in 2026 have already exceeded the total for the entire decade leading up to Trump’s second term.</p>
<p>One tenured ICE officer, speaking anonymously, stated that the terminations of officers hired under Trump were often due to poor job performance or failing federal background checks. The officer noted, "It’s like almost every week people are being fired due to failed backgrounds." A retired official who communicates regularly with current ICE leadership corroborated this, mentioning that some background checks can take 3-6 months, allowing officers to work before their full clearance is granted.</p>
<p>The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has asserted that it is hiring qualified candidates and providing thorough training and vetting. A DHS spokesperson stated, "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."</p>
<p>Arsenal PAC, a political action committee led by former intelligence analyst Samantha Boucher, indicated that the increase in employee terminations suggests underlying issues within the agency. They reported that compared to 2024, terminations have risen from under 1% of separations to 18%, with the median tenure of fired officers being under four months.</p>
<h2>Challenges ICE employees face</h2>
<p>ICE employees have reported difficulties operating under the second Trump administration, including being reassigned to various locations and roles, such as airport security checkpoints. The agency has faced mixed messaging from the White House regarding arrest priorities, with daily quotas imposed for illegal immigrant arrests. The latest quota was set at 3,000.</p>
<p>One officer remarked, "The admin has been hot and cold about whom to arrest. It’s been a seesaw this whole year." The agency has not had a confirmed director since the end of the Obama administration, and its recent nominee was withdrawn in late September.</p>
<p>ICE officers have expressed concerns about safety, citing threats from activists and incidents of violence against federal law enforcement. Since June, ICE and Customs and Border Protection have deployed teams to several major cities to carry out deportations with reduced public visibility under Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.</p>
<p>Activism against ICE has intensified, with an online ICE Activity Tracker website allowing users to report sightings of ICE vehicles and checkpoints. Sources indicate that officers are experiencing burnout from extended overtime in a high-stress environment.</p>