U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has eliminated the age limit for new hires, allowing individuals over 40 to join its deportation team.
This change comes as the Trump administration seeks more personnel to support its extensive deportation plans, removing age restrictions from the demanding role.
“Age restrictions are now lifted for ICE law enforcement,” stated Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a post on social platform X. “There is no longer an age limit for qualified candidates who wish to apply.”
The shift also eliminates the age limit for those seeking to serve as investigators, which was previously capped at 37.
The Department of Homeland Security’s press release highlights this change as being “supported by significant new funding from the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill.”
The department on Wednesday also touted an up to $50,000 signing bonus and up to $60,000 in student loan repayment.
The change prompted questions about whether the agency is having trouble attracting qualified candidates.
According to the ICE recruitment page, “Deportation officers and special agents need to be in excellent physical condition, capable of enduring various environmental stresses, and possess strong critical thinking abilities.”
In an interview on Fox News on Wednesday, Noem said efforts to recruit 10,000 new ICE officers have been “extremely successful.”
“As of today, we have over 80,000 applicants for those 10,000 positions already,” she said.
