ICE hosting recruiting event in Rockford this month

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be hosting an in-person recruiting event in Rockford this month.

According to ICE, recruiters will be present at the Tough Mudder Chicago, which will be held August 23rd and 24th at the Chicago Rockford International Airport, at 6313 Beltline Road.

The agency is at the center of the Trump administration’s efforts to carry out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Earlier this summer, Congress passed a spending bill that gives ICE money to hire 10,000 more staff.

Currently, ICE applicants must be 21 years old and no older than 37 or 40, depending on what position they are applying for.

In an interview with Fox & Friends, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said applicants could be as young as 18.

The department said all recruits would have to go through medical and drug screening and complete a physical fitness test.

ICE earlier announced a recruiting campaign aimed at finding and hiring the deportation officers, investigators and lawyers it will need to meet its hiring goals.

As part of that campaign, the agency is offering an eye-catching bonus of up to $50,000 for new recruits as well as other benefits like student loan forgiveness and abundant overtime for deportation officers.

In June of this year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which ICE operates under, conducted an operation in Rockford.

According to ICE, those arrested in its operations nationwide had criminal histories, including sexual assault, robbery, drug and weapons charges, and domestic violence.

In Illinois, the TRUST Act, signed by former Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) in 2017, prevents state law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

According to the 2023 Way Forward Act Compliance Report, 88.5% of requests from federal immigration authorities were rejected statewide.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.