--- title: "ICE plans to hire 5,000 agents to support Trump deportation campaign" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ice-plans-to-hire-5000-agents-to-support-trump-deportation-campaign" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/ice-plans-to-hire-5000-agents-to-support-trump-deportation-campaign" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ice-plans-to-hire-5000-agents-to-support-trump-deportation-campaign.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/ice-plans-to-hire-5000-agents-to-support-trump-deportation-campaign" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-30T10:05:31.694Z" source_reported: "2026-09-30T08:41:23.000Z" updated: "2026-09-30T10:05:31.694Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-30T10:00:24.501634+00:00" --- # ICE plans to hire 5,000 agents to support Trump deportation campaign *Agency seeks to expand workforce by 17 percent amid reports of vetting backlogs.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to named sources, with some data and a document cited. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Reports quote affected parties and name specific figures, but lack detail on what happens next. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headline promises a surge, but the body details a planned expansion with some caveats. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to hire 5,000 new agents by the end of the year. - The hires are intended to support President Trump's deportation campaign. - The agency has received significant funding from Congress. - Sources told The New York Times that the agency wants to grow its workforce by 17 percent. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to hire as many as 5,000 new personnel by the end of the year. These new hires are intended to support President Trump's deportation campaign. The agency has received substantial funding from Congress to support its operations. Sources familiar with the plans told The New York Times that the agency aims to increase its workforce by 17 percent, with the majority of new positions being deportation officers. ## Disagreement on vetting backlogs Sources told The New York Times that ICE is currently dealing with a significant backlog in vetting recent hires, with nearly 7,500 recruits awaiting background checks. These recruits are reportedly only able to work in a limited capacity. However, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told The Times that the proposed 5,000 new hires are unrelated to previous recruitment efforts and that the agency would maintain stringent standards. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated or right-rated reports mentioned the figure of 49,571 arrests made by ICE in July, as reported by The Associated Press and cited by The Independent. The right-rated digest did not mention the reported vetting backlog or the internal memo warning about lowered standards. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 71% (5) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 29% (2) 1 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-30T10:00:24.501634+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 3 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-30T10:45:18.533Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports focused on the planned hiring surge and its connection to President Trump's deportation campaign. The Independent and washingtonsun.com, in their full reports, highlighted that the hires are intended to bolster Trump's deportation efforts and that most recruits will be deportation officers. Joe.My.God. used the term 'thugs' in its headline to describe the new hires. Multiple reports, including The Independent and washingtonsun.com, noted that the expansion comes as thousands of earlier recruits await background checks. The Independent also included a quote from former ICE chief of staff Deborah Fleischaker stating, 'Adequately vetting people takes time. It’s more important to get it right than do it fast.' The Independent also reported on an internal memo warning of 'unprecedented lowering of standards' and a DHS spokesperson's assertion that the new hires are an 'outgrowth' of new funding. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - Globo's digest stated that ICE is preparing for a new round of recruitments to support President Trump's deportation campaign, with the goal of hiring 5,000 new employees by the end of the year. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 1 - high: 4 - unknown: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/ice-migrants-new-agents-immigration-b3058794.html) — ICE wants to hire another 5,000 new agents to help deport more migrants - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/ice-migrants-new-agents-immigration-b3058794.html) — ICE wants to hire another 5,000 new agents to help deport more migrants - [Globo](https://oglobo.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2026/09/30/ice-planeja-contratar-5-mil-novos-funcionarios-para-reforcar-campanha-de-deportacoes-do-governo-trump.ghtml) — ICE Plans to Hire 5,000 New Employees to Reinforce Trump Government Deportation Campaign - [washingtonsun.com](https://washingtonsun.com/agencies/ice-launches-another-recruitment-surge) — ICE to Launch Another 5,000-Person Recruitment Surge This Year - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/a471a9c55e1fcdf4) — ICE plans to hire 5,000 new personnel by December - [Joe.My.God.](https://joemygod.com/2026/09/ice-to-hire-5000-new-thugs-in-deportations-push) — ICE To Hire 5000 New Thugs In Deportations Push - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/ice-plans-5000-new-hires-to-help-with-deportation-drive) — ICE plans 5,000 new hires to help with deportation drive - [Newsmax](https://newsmax.com/us/ice-hiring-vetting/2026/09/29/id/1271103) — ICE Plans to Hire 5,000 More Employees by Year's End ## Questions **How many new agents does ICE plan to hire?** Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to hire 5,000 new agents by the end of the year. This expansion aims to increase the agency's workforce by approximately 17 percent. **What is the purpose of the new hires?** The new hires are intended to support President Trump's deportation campaign. The majority of the new positions will be for deportation officers tasked with field arrests and managing deportation cases. **Are there concerns about the hiring process?** Yes, sources told The New York Times that ICE is facing a backlog in vetting recent hires, with thousands awaiting background checks. This raises questions about how the agency can meet its hiring goal without compromising standards. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/ice-plans-to-hire-5000-agents-to-support-trump-deportation-campaign. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "ICE plans to hire 5,000 agents to support Trump deportation campaign", https://mediabias.news/politics/ice-plans-to-hire-5000-agents-to-support-trump-deportation-campaign