The Trump administration is offering lucrative incentives — totaling up to $50,000 — to former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as part of a nationwide effort to bolster the agency’s workforce and intensify immigration enforcement operations.
Dubbed “Operation Return to Mission,” the initiative invites retired ICE personnel to return to duty, offering a $10,000 signing bonus, another $10,000 for applications submitted by August 1, and annual $10,000 bonuses for up to three years. That adds up to as much as $50,000 in total incentives.
“You served the United States of America with distinction and honor. Now, your country calls upon you to serve once more,” reads a recruitment email sent to former employees, obtained by The Post. It blames the previous administration for what it describes as “disastrous immigration policies” and highlights the urgent need for experienced personnel to handle “unprecedented challenges.”
In addition to financial incentives, ICE is offering dual compensation waivers, allowing returning federal retirees to collect both their salary and pension benefits.
The recruitment drive follows President Trump’s signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4, which granted ICE an additional $75 billion in funding — $30 billion of which is designated for arrests and deportations, and $45 billion for expanding detention facilities.
Job openings on ICE’s “Return to Mission” website include roles for Deportation Officers and Criminal Investigators, with salaries ranging from $88,000 to $171,000 annually. Rehired personnel will serve under term appointments lasting between one and four years.
The move reflects a significant expansion of ICE’s enforcement capacity under Trump’s immigration agenda, with the agency prioritizing the rehiring of experienced agents to lead the effort.
