Right about now there can’t be many professions on earth that are as controversial or opinion-dividing as being an ICE agent.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement task forces have been deployed in great numbers to several U.S. states in an effort to tackle illegal immigration, and their presence hasn’t been accepted – or even tolerated – by all.
Clashes have led to any number of chaotic, sometimes violent incidents, including the high-profile killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37-year-old U.S. citizens shot dead by ICE agents in Minneapolis.
Needless to say, working as an ICE officer in the current climate comes with a whole raft of challenges. Negative public perception is likely enough to make a lot of potential applicants think again, not to mention the physical dangers now associated with masking up, taking to the streets, and actively hunting people suspected of not having the necessary papers in order.
But just how much is such an assignment worth?
Well, according to one ICE agent, seen boasting on camera, the positions can be lucrative.
The agent in question, engaging in dialogue with protesters, said: “I went to high school. I get $200k.”
With many Americans facing a cost-of-living crisis and some relying on food banks to survive, such a sum to perform a job presently drowning in negativity isn’t likely to do much to allay frustrations.
ICE’s recruitment process earlier this month came under scrutiny after an investigative reporter went undercover and apparently exposed its worryingly lax hiring methods.
Laura Jedeed claims to have been offered a job as an ICE agent without having any law enforcement experience. She also said her interview process lasted just six minutes – an alarmingly short time considering the high-stakes, high-pressure situations recruits may be thrust into.
When Jedeed told her recruiting officer that she might prefer a desk role instead of being deployed to the streets, she claimed said officer replied: “Just to be upfront, the goal is to put as many guns and badges out in the field as possible.”
The reporter also said she chose not to submit key documents, including a domestic violence affidavit, background check authorization, or identification details, after being given a tentative offer. Incredibly, she revealed that she was still offered a job.
“ICE is running an extremely leaky ship when it comes to recruitment,” Jedeed said.
“But if they missed the fact that I was an anti-ICE journalist who didn’t fill out her paperwork, what else might they be missing? How many convicted domestic abusers are being given guns and sent into other people’s homes? How many people with ties to white supremacist organizations are indiscriminately targeting minorities on principle, regardless of immigration status.”
What do you make of the ICE officer’s claim that they’re making $200k? Let us know in the comments.
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