AP: ‘Sterling Credentials Were Not Required’ In ICE Hiring Spree

The Associated Press took a look at more than 40 ICE officers who were recently hired during an unprecedented recruitment spree after the agency scored a $75 billion boost from Congress.

As the AP notes, “sterling credentials were not required.”

MPR: ‘ICE went on a hiring spree. Sterling credentials were not required, AP investigation finds’https://t.co/swgEWOVTMD

— Billy Hanlon (@bhanlon15) April 17, 2026

From AP News:

Their backgrounds stand out. And not in a good way.

• Two bankruptcies and six law enforcement jobs in three years.

• An allegation of lying in a police report to justify a felony charge against an innocent woman — an incident that led to a $75,000 settlement and criticism of his integrity.

• A third job candidate once failed to graduate from a police academy, then lasted only three weeks in his only job as a police officer.

The president put a premium on swift action, and for ICE that meant rapid-fire recruitment and hiring, which in turn led to new employees with questionable qualifications.

Their backgrounds and training have come under scrutiny after numerous high-profile incidents in which ICE agents used excessive force.

Unlike most law enforcement, ICE shields its employees to protect them from pubic harassment. But the AP looked at ICE agents who had announced their new employment on LinkedIn pages using public records to dive into their backgrounds.

Read more here.