WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) swiftly terminated an internal incentive scheme offering monetary rewards to agents for rapid deportations, merely four hours after its introduction, The New York Times disclosed Tuesday.
The month-long trial program proposed $200 compensation for deportations executed within seven days of detention and $100 for removals completed within fourteen days. The initiative aimed to reduce detention facility congestion and minimize administrative expenses linked to immigration procedures.
The program, detailed in an internal document bearing field operations official Liana J. Castano’s signature, urged agents to emphasize accelerated removals, including fast-track deportations or voluntary exits.
However, shortly after The New York Times inquired about the initiative, ICE distributed a follow-up message directing staff to “disregard” the previous instruction. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE’s oversight body, subsequently stated the initiative lacked leadership approval. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin informed the Times that “this policy was never implemented and was never authorized.”
This withdrawal occurs amid the Trump administration’s heightened efforts to expedite deportations. ICE’s funding has seen a substantial increase—from $8 billion to $28 billion—under recently enacted Homeland Security legislation. The agency plans to recruit 10,000 new agents, offering signing bonuses reaching $50,000.
Stephen Miller, the primary strategist behind Donald Trump’s immigration policies, publicly backed the recruitment drive on X (formerly Twitter). “Want to conduct mass deportations of illegal aliens in Los Angeles? Go to JOIN.ICE.GOV today and get a $50,000 bonus. Be the hero America needs,” Miller wrote.
Since Independence Day, ICE reports extending over 1,000 employment offers, highlighting additional benefits including student debt relief and retention incentives.
Yet, this aggressive recruitment strategy has created tensions with certain local law enforcement partners traditionally collaborating through the 287(g) program, enabling county sheriffs to coordinate with federal immigration authorities. An internal ICE message, revealed by NBC News, specifically recruited local deputies—an approach some sheriffs perceived as undermining their workforce.
In Polk County, Florida, Sheriff Grady Judd denounced the strategy and demanded an apology from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Jonathan Thompson, CEO of the National Sheriffs’ Association, cautioned about potential relationship damage. “It’s a strategic mistake. This kind of outreach jeopardizes a relationship that was just beginning to rebuild,” he said.
