US President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown on migrants has exposed deep burnout and frustration among ICE officials, who are struggling with long hours, high quotas, and growing public outrage. The agency is operating at full throttle after record funding and new latitude to conduct raids, but staff are grappling with the moral implications of targeting non-criminals.
Arrest numbers have surged under Trump, up more than 250% compared to a year earlier, despite many being without criminal records or convictions. Critics argue that quotas led by the White House have put agents in an impossible situation, forcing them to follow faulty leads and risking their safety.
The push for quotas has also fueled public backlash, with reports of arrests sparking outrage on social media and local residents confronting ICE teams in neighborhoods. The administration’s recruitment drive aims to hire 10,000 officers over four years but critics warn that lowering standards could compromise morale and create a culture of corruption.
As the agency struggles to cope with the increased workload, some officials have expressed frustration at being reassigned from serious crimes to routine immigration enforcement. Others have criticized the White House for prioritizing numbers over staff well-being, citing burnout and stress as major concerns.
The crisis has sparked debate among lawmakers, who have passed a Republican-backed spending package giving ICE $75 billion over four years. Critics warn that this will only fuel the problem, while supporters argue it’s necessary to address the surge in migrants crossing the border.
With morale at an all-time low, officials are calling for changes to address burnout and frustration. As one former top ICE legal adviser said, “They would prefer to go back to focused targeting. They used to be able to say: ‘We are arresting criminals.'”
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/focus/2025/10/03/cracking-under-the-crackdown