Once a relatively obscure branch of law enforcement, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have fast become the sharp point of Donald Trump’s mass deportation initiative. Since Trump took office a year ago, the number of ICE agents has jumped from 10,000 to 22,000, thanks largely to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recruitment drive to sign up what they call “qualified patriotic Americans from across the country.” The Trump administration said it deported 605,000 people between January 20 and December 10, 2025, and 1.9 million immigrants had “voluntarily self-deported.” READ: Filipina among those arrested by US immigration agents in New Year ops Such a significant upscaling of […]... Keep on reading: How are ICE agents recruited, and who are they?