(Washington, D.C.) Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed that more than 200,000 people applied for jobs with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), citing what she described as a surge of “patriotic Americans” responding to a “national call to serve.” She also alleged an 8,000% increase in death threats and violent attacks against ICE agents — assertions that have not been independently verified.
In a statement carried by local affiliate Idaho News, Noem said ICE is offering signing bonuses up to $50,000, loan forgiveness, and enhanced overtime benefits to attract new hires. DHS provided no documentation supporting Noem’s numerical claims, which are inconsistent with the agency’s prior public workforce data.
Noem, who has previously made false or misleading claims about immigration enforcement, said over 515,000 immigrants have been deported since January — a figure significantly higher than official ICE reports for comparable periods…