GEOFF BENNETT: ICE is in the midst of# an aggressive recruitment campaign in## a scale never seen before.

The# agency has reportedly signed on## thousands of new agents since President# Trump's return to the White House.

And, as Liz Landers reports,# there are concerns about the## agency's recruitment tactics and changes# made to hiring and training standards.

(MUSIC) LIZ LANDERS: Slickly produced## social media videos... NARRATOR: Join ICE and help us# catch the worst of the worst.

LIZ LANDERS: ... televised ads targeting# local police and a celebrity endorsement.

DEAN CAIN, Actor: We need your help to# protect our homeland and our families.

LIZ LANDERS: These are all part of a# major multimillion-dollar recruitment## campaign launched by the Immigration# and Customs Enforcement agency,## ICE, to enact a key campaign# promise of President Trump.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United# States: On day one, I will launch the## largest deportation program in American history.

LIZ LANDERS: His deportation agenda was# supercharged when the One Big Beautiful## Bill Act passed in July.

It included almost# $75 billion extra for ICE, making it the## highest funded law enforcement agency in# the U.S.

government, outstripping the FBI.

And the agency announced a lofty recruitment goal# of hiring 10,000 new agents by the end of the## year, which would more than double the number of# deportation officers from roughly 6,000 to 16,000.

JOHN SANDWEG, Former Acting ICE Director: We# have never seen an expansion of ICE like this.

LIZ LANDERS: John Sandweg served as acting ICE## director under President Obama and says# the hiring goal may lead to compromises.

JOHN SANDWEG: How realistic this goal is and# whether you can maintain those standards all## depends on the time frame.

Unfortunately, I think# we're seeing that the administration is so eager## to get them deployed that we're seeing a couple# of things.

One is a reduction in those standards.

LIZ LANDERS: To make its recruitment quota,# ICE has removed all age requirements and cut## its training program length in half.# The administration is also offering## student loan forgiveness and lucrative overtime# packages and signing bonuses of up to $50,000.

It's pushing those perks in# traditional places like job fairs,## as well as almost anywhere potential# recruits spend their time online.

JOSEPH COX, 404 Media: That's going to be on# social media.

It's going to be through streamers,## so YouTube and other places where user-generated# content is, but also large-scale broadcast and## streaming platforms like Hulu, HBO Max,# Amazon Prime, all of this sort of thing.

LIZ LANDERS: Joseph Cox is an investigative# journalist at 404 Media and has reported on## ICE's recruitment strategy.

He says the# agency aims to target two main groups,## people with military and law# enforcement experience and Gen Z. JOSEPH COX: They're really trying to do## essentially everything they can# to target and find these people.

LIZ LANDERS: ICE has spent millions on# broadcast ads aimed at police officers## frustrated with their city's# enforcement of immigration law.

NARRATOR: You took an oath to protect# and serve, but in too many cities,## dangerous illegals walk free as# police are forced to stand down.

LIZ LANDERS: And on social media, the# Department of Homeland Security has## launched a campaign it describes as aggressive.# It's posted a meme referencing the video game## Halo to its official X account with the# slogan -- quote -- "Destroy the Flood."

JOSEPH COX: That's very dehumanizing# language.

The Flood is an insect parasite## enemy in the video game.

And you go through the## replies and there are people who find# it absolutely abhorrent and disgusting.

LIZ LANDERS: It's also shared images using# wartime imagery, like Uncle Sam, and slang,## like in this post with the caption -- quote --# "Want to deport illegals with your absolute boys."

But some critics worry this will draw# recruits with the wrong motivation.

WENDY VIA, Global Project Against Hate and# Extremism: They're normalizing extremism,## but also warping what it means to be# a person who protects your country.

LIZ LANDERS: Wendy Via co-founded the# Center for Global Hate and Extremism.## She's tracked the campaign, including posts# shared by far right groups like the Proud Boys.

WENDY VIA: The recruitment for the new staff# is very much saying, come with us and we're## going to make America different than what it is.# They present it as a violent but white place.

LIZ LANDERS: When asked about their social# media recruitment posts, Assistant Secretary## of the Department of Homeland Security Tricia# McLaughlin said -- quote -- "These are the## type of smears that vilify our brave# ICE law enforcement and are leading to## 100 percent increase in assaults against them.# ICE only recruits patriotic professionals who## have the integrity and moral compass to perform# such critical roles in keeping America safe."

While the agency emphasizes its mission# to protect public safety and national## security to potential recruits, a# recent New York Times analysis found## the majority of immigrants arrested# and detained by ICE do not have U.S.## criminal records and roughly 8 percent# have been convicted of a violent crime.

CHAD WOLF, Former Acting U.S.

Secretary# of Homeland Security: When you talk about## millions of individuals on a final order# of removal.. all should be deported or removed, but yet you# don't have the officers to go out there and to## target them and apprehend them and remove# them, you need to beef up their resources.

LIZ LANDERS: Chad Wolf, who led the Department of# Homeland Security AS acting secretary during the## first Trump administration, says the agency's# recruitment tactics are not a main concern.

CHAD WOLF: Once you get those recruits, right,# into the pipeline, and you start vetting them,## you start talking to them,# you start interviewing them,## that's where the rubber meets the road, right?# That's when you're really going to determine## whether or not that person is suitable for# that type of job, based on their background,## based on their temperament, based# on a variety of different factors.

LIZ LANDERS: But the agency has# reportedly rushed new recruits## into its training program before being# properly vetted, leading some trainees## to drop out due to failing background checks,# academic requirements or fitness standards.

JOHN SANDWEG: Yes, I mean,# some of these moves, frankly,## have resulted in some embarrassing candidates.# ICE agents have tremen.. out there on the streets.

We have to know# that these people, A, have that integrity,## are going to -- when no one's looking,# are they going to do things the right way?

And, secondly, they're getting into# this for the right reason.

Obviously,## there's a tremendous concern as# well that the administration is## going after individuals who harbor# some animus towards immigrants.

LIZ LANDERS: Assistant Secretary McLaughlin# defended the agency's vetting process,## saying -- quote -- "Any individual# who desires to join ICE will undergo## intense background investigations and# security clearances, no exception."

MAN: From Texas to California, Border Patrol# agents are being hired at a breakneck speed.

LIZ LANDERS: Former ICE Director# John Sandweg sees parallels with## the scramble to expand Border Patrol# under President George W. Bush.

JOHN SANDWEG: When we rushed to hire Border Patrol# agents, we ended up getting individuals who just## weren't well suited for some of the stressful# encounters you have as a law enforcement agent.## They resorted to force too quickly.

They# resorted to force that was unreasonable.

LIZ LANDERS: After loosening its hiring# standards and training standards,## arrests of CBP officers for misconduct# increased, including for high-profile## corruption cases involving agents working with# cartels to smuggle drugs across the border.

Do you have concerns that this explosive growth## in ICE could lead to some of those same# problems that we have seen in the past?

CHAD WOLF: I understand the concern.

I# think that is a challenge, but it is doable.## It's not -- I mean, we're the United States.

I# think we can figure out how to hire thousands of## individuals and give them the right training# and put them out on the streets to do a job.

LIZ LANDERS: So far, the administration# says its recruitment campaign is working,## recently announcing that it will finish# hiring 10,000 agents within days,## an effort that is reshaping the face of# law enforcement on America's streets.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Liz Landers.