Uncle Sam recruits ‘soldiers’ for the war on immigration

During World War I and II, the Uncle Sam recruitment poster became famous. The figure pointed his finger at the viewer so that no one would feel excluded from the message. “I want you for the United States Army. Enlist now,” said Uncle Sam. Today, the most iconic propaganda poster in the United States once again addresses the public to recruit soldiers to fight another war: the one launched by Donald Trump against undocumented immigrants.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has replicated the Uncle Sam poster – originally created by James Montgomery Flagg for WWI – to launch a recruitment campaign for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. This time the message is “Return to Mission.” The intended audience is the recently retired DHS agents that ICE needs to carry out the largest deportation in history, a priority target of the Trump administration.

“You served the United States of America with distinction and honor. Now, your country is calling upon you to serve once more. Due to the prior administration’s disastrous immigration policies, the men and women of ICE now face unprecedented challenges. Your experience and unwavering commitment are critically needed to secure our communities and uphold our laws,” the DHS website reads.

For the plan to succeed, the president wants to hire 10,000 new agents to arrest and deport migrants across the country. The Republican president’s new tax bill, recently passed by Congress, set aside $45 billion for migrant detention centers and $30 billion for more ICE personnel.

The massive injection of funds into the government’s anti-immigration campaign has sparked outrage among civil society organizations, which denounce how the law is taking money away from other areas, such as healthcare and education, and be used to target the migrant community.

“Congress and the Administration will spend hundreds of billions of dollars to incarcerate, surveil, and criminalize Black, Latinx, and Indigenous families seeking protection in the United States. As with other horrific chapters in this country’s history, the damage will be felt for years to come,” said Azadeh Erfani, policy director of the National Immigrant Justice Center, after Congress passed the bill earlier this month. “All of this harm seeks to further enrich the super-rich and private prison corporations, while cementing the racist anti-immigrant narrative that has already terrorized immigrant communities,” she added.

Although raids have multiplied in recent months, the agency, in its current state, cannot meet its goal of deporting one million undocumented immigrants this year. It needs to expand its capacity.

The job description states that the job requires physical strength and stamina due to long periods of surveillance, restraining suspects, and transporting heavy equipment. It adds that the environment includes indoor and outdoor work in potentially hazardous and stressful situations.

Since Trump’s return to the White House, ICE agent raids have been terrorizing the immigrant community. Children skipping school, parents failing to show up for work, and failure to appear for court dates are some of the consequences of ICE operations. Images of the harrowing separation of families after parents are arrested in front of their children by agents wearing face coverings to avoid identification, the force used to drag suspects into official cars, and the raids against migrants working in the fields, factories, or construction sites have been captured in videos that have flooded social media. ICE agents have earned the rejection of much of the population, and Trump has denounced the dangers they face in their work, advocating for them to wear face coverings to avoid retaliation.

To carry out their duties, the announcement already warns that “the ICE deportation officer may use deadly force when necessary, in accordance with the law and agency policy.”

But in addition to the animosity its agents arouse, there are also the grueling schedules, declining morale, and growing pressure to meet deportation quotas, all of which have complicated the challenge of swelling ICE’s ranks.

“This is just another job. People want to politicize it and shame them for taking the job,” says Mario G. Taffo, a consultant with the Institute for Financial Awareness, a firm that advises federal law enforcement on financial matters.

The funding injection approved for ICE contrasts with the withdrawal of funding, numerous layoffs, and even the closure of many federal agencies. “Just like in the private sector, some companies go under and others do better,” Taffo explains.

Several polls have revealed the agency’s low public support. An NPR-PBS News-Marist College poll conducted last month showed that 54% of Americans said ICE had “gone too far” in enforcing immigration laws. Another CNN poll, published last week, showed that 53% of Americans oppose Trump’s expansion of ICE funding, compared to 31% who do not see it as a problem.

As an incentive, DHS is offering retired officers a salary of between $88,621 and $144,031 annually that can be added to their pensions.

“It’s a great opportunity, not only for the income, which will likely double, but also for the benefits. It’s a great opportunity for their families,” says Taffo.

Federal officials have posted links to the website and the federal job application website on LinkedIn. They have also sent emails to former officers, urging those who left the position in the past five years and left in good standing to reapply. “We are issuing an urgent call to former I.C.E. law enforcement officers to join OPERATION RETURN TO MISSION,” read one email obtained by The New York Times.

The urgency of the hiring need is reflected in the fact that bonuses are promised if candidates apply early. “Ready to rejoin the mission and receive a bonus of up to $50,000, in addition to retirement pay (pension + payroll)?” posted Robert J. Hammer, a DHS official, on LinkedIn. “Apply by August 1st to qualify for the full recruiting incentive package.” Several potential candidates responded with interest in the offer.

Hiring new agents is essential to fulfilling the plans of border czar Tom Homan, who this week declared in a press conference his intention to send more officers to sanctuary cities—those that protect migrants—to expand raids. “We’re going to flood the zone. Sanctuary cities get exactly what they don’t want: more agents in the community and more agents in the work site,” Homan said.

Investigators and prosecutors needed

In addition to deportation agents, DHS needs to recruit investigators to work for ICE. The position, which offers a salary of between $105,383 and $171,268 annually, is offered to federal officials who have been laid off from other agencies or departments that were eliminated during the administration’s recruitment process.

The application period for deportation agents and investigators is from July 17 to August 18. To these positions, the recruitment of attorneys general in Washington, D.C., and several states was added on Monday, August 21. Those selected will be involved in deportation proceedings for asylum seekers before immigration judges and will also be required to defend ICE in court cases filed against the agency.

The DHS appeals to the government’s often-repeated theme of patriotism to close the offer. “America needs you,” concludes its ad.