ICE employee turnover hits record high in first half of 2026, federal data shows
Federal data reviewed by USA Today shows about 2,900 ICE officers left in January–June 2026, more than in any full year since 2012, mostly through resignations and firings. DHS says it is hiring qualified, well-vetted candidates.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is seeing higher employee turnover under President Donald Trump than at any point in its history, according to federal data reviewed by USA Today. Washington ExaminerR “Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeing higher employee turnover rates under President Donald Trump than at any point in the federal agency’s history.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Raw StoryL “Immigration and Customs Enforcement is losing employees faster than at any point in its history” Read at Raw Story ↗ Mixed · 2Between January and June 2026, more than 2,900 officers left, more than in any 12-month period since 2012, when the Office of Personnel Management began tracking the figure; most departures were resignations and terminations rather than retirements. Washington ExaminerR “Between January and June, more than 2,900 officers left the agency, more than during any 12-month period since 2012” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Raw StoryL “Voluntary resignations and firings accounted for most of the exits rather than retirements.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Right · 1The departures follow a hiring surge funded by $75 billion from Congress in July 2025; ICE reported 220,000 applications after offering loan payoff and $50,000 sign-on bonuses, and hired about 12,000 officers between January 2025 and June 2026, in addition to 7,500 existing officers, according to USA Today's analysis. Washington ExaminerR “The Republican-controlled Congress funded ICE with $75 billion in July 2025”“It hired 12,000 officers between January 2025 and June 2026” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Mixed · 2Terminations made up under 1% of separations in 2024 but 18% now, and Arsenal PAC, a political action committee, says those fired lasted a median of under four months; Raw Story adds that quitting has risen from about one in seven departures to more than half. Washington ExaminerR “terminations have gone from [making up] under 1% of separations to 18%, and the officers being fired lasted a median of under four months” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Raw StoryL “Quitting has surged too, going from about one in seven departures to more than half.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Right · 1An anonymous tenured officer told the Washington Examiner that firings stem from poor on-the-job decisions or retroactively failed background checks, and a retired official said some checks take 3-6 months, so recruits can start work before clearance is decided. Washington ExaminerR ““It’s like almost every week people are being fired due to failed backgrounds,” the officer said about turnover in his region.”““Some backgrounds take 3-6 months, so the person could have graduated and be working at a field office before their full clearance gets granted or denied,”” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Mixed · 2The Department of Homeland Security says ICE has kept "exemplary standards" and that most new officers are experienced law enforcement who completed an academy; Raw Story cites experts telling USA Today that hiring outpaced the agency's ability to vet and train recruits. Washington ExaminerR ““The vast majority of new officers brought on during the hiring surge are experienced law enforcement officers who have already successfully completed a law enforcement academy.”” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Raw StoryL “Experts told USA Today the pace outstripped the agency's ability to vet and train recruits” Read at Raw Story ↗
Right · 1The Washington Examiner also reports that employees cite shifting arrest priorities, two White House daily arrest quotas (the latest 3,000), deployments to tasks such as weigh stations and airport checkpoints, overtime burnout, safety fears, and no confirmed director, with the latest nominee pulled in late September. Washington ExaminerR “The White House has twice imposed daily illegal immigrant arrest quotas. The latest daily quota was 3,000.”“its recent nominee was pulled suddenly in late September” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Left · 1Raw Story, citing NewsNation, adds that ICE had about 29,000 employees in July, roughly 8,000 more than when Trump took office, and that a former official said several trainees were dismissed after the agency learned they had open arrest warrants. Raw StoryL “NewsNation reported ICE had about 29,000 employees in July, roughly 8,000 more than when Trump took office” Read at Raw Story ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Frames the story as the agency 'bleeding staff' after a chaotic hiring surge, leading with the record rate and quick exits of new hires.
- Emphasis
- Scale of hiring versus the past decade, shift from retirements to firings and quits, experts on vetting and training gaps, trainees dismissed over open warrants.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits DHS's response, arrest quotas, leadership vacuum and officers' accounts of working conditions.
- Charged language
- “bleeding staff”“enormous and chaotic hiring push”
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Frames the turnover through ICE officers' accounts of 'internal chaos' and poor management, while including DHS's rebuttal.
- Emphasis
- Officer and retired-official testimony, quotas, shifting priorities, no confirmed director, burnout and safety concerns, and the DHS statement.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Leaves out the expert view on hiring outpacing training and the NewsNation headcount figures.
- Charged language
- “internal chaos”“worst of the worst”“bounties placed on their heads”
- For example
-
“ICE officers say internal chaos has led to thousands of employee departures” — Washington Examiner
“ICE officers have had bounties placed on their heads” — Washington Examiner
What every side reports
- ICE turnover in the first half of 2026 is the highest on record, per federal data reviewed by USA Today.
- About 2,900 officers left between January and June 2026, mostly through resignations and firings rather than retirements.
- Firings rose from under 1% of separations in 2024 to 18%.
- ICE hired about 12,000 officers from January 2025 to June 2026 after a large application surge.
Where accounts differ
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Why so many recent hires are leaving
- Left
- Raw Story stresses a chaotic hiring push that outpaced vetting and training, citing experts.
- Right
- The Washington Examiner cites officers blaming poor agency management, training and vetting shortfalls, mixed messaging and quotas; DHS says recruits are experienced and thoroughly vetted.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement organisation
Through a DHS spokesperson, ICE says it maintains exemplary standards and hires experienced, vetted recruits; officers quoted anonymously describe chaos, failed background checks and mixed messaging.
““ICE has maintained its exemplary standards, and is hiring the best of the best to get the worst of the worst criminals off of America’s streets.” — Washington Examiner
Donald Trump person
The Trump administration's mass deportation drive and hiring surge are the context; the White House twice imposed daily arrest quotas, the latest 3,000.
“The White House has twice imposed daily illegal immigrant arrest quotas.” — Washington Examiner
Left1 article
-
ICE bleeding staff at record rate as firings and resignations soar: report
Critical Short aggregation presenting record attrition as the cost of a rushed, chaotic hiring drive.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
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ICE officers say internal chaos has led to thousands of employee departures
Critical Uses officers' accounts to portray an agency in disarray, while giving DHS space to reply.
- 4 Oct 11:00 First Washington ExaminerR ICE officers say internal chaos has led to thousands of employee departures
- 5 Oct 22:10 +35h 11m Raw StoryL ICE bleeding staff at record rate as firings and resignations soar: report
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.