Whistleblower: ICE Skipped Background Checks in Hiring Surge

A 17-year Immigration and Customs Enforcement veteran who oversaw the vetting of new recruits says the agency put hundreds of improperly vetted agents on the street during last year's hiring surge, creating what he called "grave national security risks."

The whistleblower complaint was filed with the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General and obtained by The New York Times through a public records request. The Times reported it Thursday, September 3.

The official, a former unit chief who directly oversaw more than 100 employees and evaluated thousands of ICE applicants, described an "unprecedented lowering of standards," according to the Times.

What He Says Was Skipped

According to the complaint as reported by the Times, ICE issued job offers before fingerprint, identity and credit checks were completed — leaving no window for red flags to surface, including whether an applicant appeared in law enforcement databases for criminal violations.

Officials were told to make hiring decisions without a completed security form, without fingerprints and without polygraph testing, the complaint says. That vetting process normally takes seven to 10 days.

The whistleblower also alleged that political appointees skirted background investigations altogether, Raw Story reported, citing the Times.

Recruits went into training without their criminal histories or other basic information verified, The Independent reported. Training itself was cut from roughly 10 weeks to six, meaning new agents could be working before their background checks were finished.

"We chose as an agency to be more convenient rather than thorough," the official told the Times. "By doing so, there was a potential to put lives at risk and to jeopardize national security."

The Hiring Surge Behind It

The surge followed Congress passing President Donald Trump's domestic policy package, which Raw Story reported carried $30 billion in new funding aimed at more than doubling the deportation force with 10,000 new agents.

ICE brought on roughly 12,000 new hires last year while dropping requirements, The Independent reported — lowering the minimum age from 21 to 18 and dropping the college degree requirement, alongside signing bonuses and other financial incentives. The moves more than doubled the agency's workforce.