Donald Trump‘s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced ICE has ended its age cap, meaning people older than 40 can now join the controversial agency.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees ICE, announced the decision on Wednesday, August, 6, 2025, on X. She captioned her post, “We are ENDING the age cap for ICE law enforcement. Qualified candidates can now apply with no age limit.” The previous age cap was 37 for some roles and 40 for deportation officers.
All thanks to Trump’s BBB
We are ENDING the age cap for ICE law enforcement. Qualified candidates can now apply with no age limit.https://t.co/SoBO0HH9Yc pic.twitter.com/PUC9FyXvIH
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) August 6, 2025
In a press release, DHS credited additional funding from Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” for making the move possible. Recruits are being offered a signing bonus of up to $50,000, plus student loan repayment, forgiveness options, and a range of other incentives.
Social media response to the news speculated that ICE recruitment must be going poorly. But Noem told FOX News, “As of today, we have over 80,000 applicants for those 10,000 positions already.”
Others on X noted that if older Americans can join the force, why not kids? Currently, 18-year-olds can apply. One comment said, “If there’s no cap on age why is there an age requirement? Surely youth could be trained, and in some states, there are no child labor restrictions.”
ICE’s “South Park” themed recruitment drive
https://t.co/nZkBEj3GGi pic.twitter.com/N7cFpDhb7W
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 5, 2025
News of Noem’s age cap change came amid reports that the DHS used South Park imagery for recruitment in advance of a South Park episode focused on ICE. “You realize this episode was making fun of you, right?” one comment said.
Around that same time, The Boston Globe reported that New Hampshire police received ICE recruitment emails. Further, The American Prospect reports that many FEMA employees who had previously been on administrative leave were reassigned to ICE.
ICE said in the realignment announcement that former FEMA staff would help with recruitment, hiring, and staffing decisions. The move would also not affect FEMA operations, an agency the Trump administration has threatened to shut down.
In a statement, a DHS spokesperson told The Prospect, “Under President Trump’s leadership and through the One Big Beautiful Bill, DHS is adopting an all-hands-on-deck strategy to recruit 10,000 new ICE agents.”
The spokesperson added, “To support this effort, select FEMA employees will temporarily be detailed to ICE for 90 days to assist with hiring and vetting. Their deployment will NOT disrupt FEMA’s critical operations. FEMA remains fully prepared for Hurricane Season.”
ICE and Trump’s BBB
America has been invaded by criminals and predators.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 29, 2025
We need YOU to get them out. https://t.co/tqZ8y0E36q pic.twitter.com/7CVqGG6uLy
Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill directs an estimated $178 billion toward immigration and border enforcement. This makes ICE the most heavily funded law enforcement agency in the country’s history.
The bill has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights advocates, immigration groups, and progressive lawmakers who say it empowers ICE with minimal oversight while slashing social safety net programs.
At the same time, the bill reduces funding for Medicaid, food assistance, and housing, prompting accusations that it redistributes resources from vulnerable communities to federal enforcement agencies.
Despite Noem’s rosy picture, ICE has reportedly struggled to fill key enforcement positions, even as policymakers have directed hiring targets of up to 10,000 new agents to support a goal of one million deportations annually.
A DHS Inspector General report has repeatedly described ICE’s staffing model as “unsustainable,” noting heavy reliance on overtime and temporary reassignments to fill gaps.
