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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing for a large-scale increase in enforcement operations as newly trained agents begin to deploy nationwide, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced. “We want to really surge those arrest numbers, especially given that One Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB) that we’ve received the funding to do it,” Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday. “We’re going to be making great progress. “We have 175,000 applications to ICE so we can really surge our workforce and get more brave men and women on the ground to do this great work.” Federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building on October on October 22, 2025 in New York City. Why It Matters President Donald Trump’s administration is enacting hard-line mass deportation plans to carry out widespread immigration arrests and removals. The OBBB, signed into law earlier this year by the president, supercharged funding for immigration enforcement agencies, including ICE and DHS. The measure provides $45 billion to expand ICE’s detention capacity to nearly 100,000 beds, $14 billion for transportation and removal operations, and $8 billion to hire 10,000 new deportation officers. It also includes billions more for state and local cooperation programs, technology upgrades, and retention incentives for ICE personnel. What To Know McLaughlin told Fox News the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts had already resulted in approximately 500,000 deportations from within the U.S. A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek that only tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants had used the CBP self-deportation app to arrange their departures. The spokesperson added that the estimated 1.6 million migrants who had left the U.S. since January 20 have not all utilized the app. The OBBB provides an additional $75 billion in funding for ICE over roughly four years, representing a significant increase from the agency’s prior annual baseline budget of approximately $10 billion. The multiyear allocation is projected to total more than $100 billion for ICE by fiscal year 2029, positioning it as one of the most heavily funded federal law enforcement agencies. The bill is expected to support the addition of 10,000 new ICE agents over the next five years, with recruitment and onboarding planned to reach full integration by FY 2029. As of mid-2025, ICE employs around 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel across its operations, including enforcement and removal, with fewer than 6,000 serving specifically in the Enforcement and Removal Operations branch, according to DHS. DHS has launched a nationwide recruitment effort to bolster the ranks of ICE, citing the need for additional personnel to handle enforcement and deportation operations. According to DHS, ICE has received more than 175,000 applications from Americans seeking to join the agency and has extended over 18,000 tentative job offers. To attract recruits, ICE is offering several incentives, including signing bonuses of up to $50,000 and student loan repayment programs. What People Are Saying A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek: “Tens of thousands of illegal aliens have utilized the CBP Home app. 1.6 million illegal immigrants have left the United States population since January 20, not all utilizing the CBP Home App.” Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News: “What Secretary Noem and President Trump have been able to do is really nothing short of extraordinary. “Our law enforcement has faced demonization, the injunctions from these activist judges, these sanctuary city politicians trying to prevent us time and time again. We’re not giving an inch, and we will deliver on the mandate for the American people.” Amy Fischer, Director of the Refugee and Migrant Rights Program at Amnesty International USA, wrote in a statement: “To put it simply, these ICE operations are unconscionable and fly in the face of human rights. These harmful ICE operations directed by President Trump are racist and create undue chaos and damage to communities.” What Happens Next McLaughlin’s remarks signal increased focus on immigration enforcement as the Trump administration looks to remove millions of migrants without legal status.
