U.S. Border Patrol and ICE Recruitment Surge Signals Confidence in Trump Administration’s Enforcement Approach
By Jim Thomas | Wednesday, 31 December 2025 09:14 PM EST
Former acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf stated that recent increases in recruitment numbers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Border Patrol indicate renewed confidence among federal law enforcement officers who now believe they can effectively carry out their duties under President Donald Trump.
Wolf, currently executive vice president of the America First Policy Institute, made the comments during an interview where he highlighted improvements in border enforcement metrics since the administration took office.
He noted that the previous administration’s use of humanitarian parole and the CBP One app had allowed migrants to enter with minimal resistance, saying, “you could go on your app and basically get a free entry into the country.” Ending these policies has led to immediate results, including steep drops in apprehensions and the end of catch-and-release procedures.
Wolf emphasized that enforcement changes have prevented individuals from being released into the interior of the country, stating, “catch and release has been stopped by this administration.”
He also reported increased fentanyl seizures and deportations as part of the administration’s drug enforcement efforts.
“President Trump deserves a lot of credit — his team deserves a lot of credit for what they’ve been able to do in a very short period of time,” Wolf said.
Wolf argued that improved morale is driving a surge in recruitment across enforcement agencies. When officers know they can perform their duties without political interference, “they’re going to sign up to do that job because there’s a duty.”
He noted agents were discouraged under the prior administration, being “called all sorts of names by both the [former] president and the leadership in his administration.” Wolf added that the current environment has led to recruitment numbers “surging once again.”
Recent Department of Homeland Security data supports these claims, showing ICE’s “Defend the Homeland” recruitment campaign has drawn more than 220,000 applications with plans to hire 10,000 officers by year-end. The U.S. Border Patrol received over 100,000 applications during Trump’s second term, including nearly 35,000 from January through May 2025—a 44% increase compared to the same period in the prior year. The administration has also reported an 84% rise in the monthly average of new Border Patrol hires.
