ICE Officers Describe Crisis-Level Morale, Mandatory Deployments, and Resignation Fears in Agent Forum: Report

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and related personnel are describing low morale, mandatory deployments, and plans to resign in an online forum used by current and former agents, according to a report published by Wired.

The site reviewed posts from a forum with more than 5,000 members who identify themselves as current or former ICE and Customs and Border Protection officers. The forum, described as an unofficial discussion space for deportation officers and applicants, includes complaints about long hours, leadership decisions, training standards, and temporary duty assignments tied to recent enforcement surges.

“I have 2.3 years left for full special category retirement … but don’t know if I’ll make it. Tired of this Agency,” one user wrote in a thread titled “Ready to resign, had enough stress.” The same post cited “mandated TDY’s with less than 24 hours notice” and said, “No more weekends off, more work than ever before in 18 years.”

Wired describes another poster who wrote that forced deployments were “getting out of hand,” while a separate user said, “Last thing I want is to be forced to work 7 days,” referring to 30-day assignments connected to operations in Minneapolis. TDY refers to temporary duty assignments that move officers to other cities for enforcement operations.

Wired reported that it could not verify the identities of forum users and that the platform does not require employment confirmation, but said discussions include detailed references to internal processes, training, and assignments. DHS and ICE did not respond to requests for comment, according to the report.

Some posts also questioned training for new hires and reporting practices. One user wrote that a shortened virtual academy was “extremely embarrassing,” while another alleged that some arrest narratives contained “false statements.” Wired attributed those claims to forum participants and did not independently confirm them.

The report comes as public opinion has shifted following recent enforcement operations and two fatal agent-involved shootings in Minnesota. According to an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll published today, 65% of Americans say ICE has “gone too far” in enforcing immigration laws, an 11-point increase since last summer. Six in ten respondents said they disapprove of the job the agency is doing overall.

Originally published on Latin Times