ICE Recruitment Under Fire After Reporter Claims She Was Listed as Agent Without Background Check
A Slate journalist says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) essentially hired her with almost no vetting and federal officials now dispute her claim as the story fuels fresh questions about how the agency recruits agents.
The conflict began when journalist and Army veteran Laura Jedeed attended an ICE career expo in Texas last year out of curiosity, not intent to join the agency. According to reporting from Slate and coverage on Democracy Now!, she walked out of a brief interview expecting nothing, only to later find her status listed as “Entered On Duty” in the ICE hiring portal despite missing key steps like signing offers, completing required paperwork, or even a background check.
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded by saying she was never officially offered a job, calling claims she was hired false and emphasizing that a “Tentative Selection Letter” is not a job offer.
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But coverage from multiple outlets indicates Jedeed has provided screenshots and video evidence showing a formal job offer and onboarding date, directly contradicting DHS’s statements and suggesting deeper issues with the agency’s hiring systems.
“It seems like the answer to the question, ‘Who are they hiring?’ is: They don’t know,” Jedeed said of her experience.
The dispute matters because ICE is amid an expanded recruitment push, and critics say lax or chaotic hiring could mean poorly vetted personnel in roles with significant enforcement power.
Next up…
DHS and ICE officials are expected to offer more detailed responses to these hiring concerns, and legislators on both sides may call for oversight hearings. Premiere follow-ups are likely in the coming weeks.
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