...
By Andrew Stanton
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
In an article published by Slate, journalist Laura Jedeed, vocal critic of President Donald Trump and his administration, says that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offered her a job.
Newsweek reached out to ICE for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Her revelation comes as ICE faces heightened scrutiny from the American public over its tactics. The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman, in Minneapolis by an ICE agent catalyzed concerns swirling around the agency and has fueled calls for its abolition. A new poll by YouGov and The Economist published on Tuesday showed that a plurality of Americans—47 percent—believe ICE is making Americans less safe; only 34 percent believe it is making the nation safer.
Read More on Politics
What To Know
Jedeed wrote for Slate that she began the ICE application process in August after becoming curious about the agency's hiring protocol. Although she has military experience, she noted that a quick online search of her name would reveal that she is not supportive of the Trump administration. She expected any background check would eliminate her from the candidate pool.
She began the application at an ICE Expo in Dallas. During an initial round of questions, she was asked about her experience and preferred location—a process that took “less than six minutes,” she wrote. She then had the opportunity to speak with a deportation officer and attended a Q&A about working for ICE.
...
She later missed an email making a “tentative offer,” instructing her to take several steps to continue the process, such as filling out a Declaration for Federal Employment and other forms to consent to a background check. However, she did not choose to continue, she wrote.
Three weeks later, however, she received an email from LabCorps, instructing her to complete a drug test. Although she had used cannabis about six days before the test was scheduled, she decided to go through with it.
“Nine days later, impatience got the best of me. For the first time, I logged into USAJobs and checked my application to see if my drug test had come through. What I actually saw was so implausible, so impossible, that at first I did not understand what I was looking at,” she wrote.
She found that ICE had appeared to offer her a job, despite the fact that she never submitted any relevant paperwork such as a domestic violence affidavit, background check or identification information. She said her onboarding status was listed as “Entered on Duty."
She declined the offer, she said, adding that it could have been a computer glitch, but that it is also possible “that ICE is running an extremely leaky ship when it comes to recruitment.”
“But if they missed the fact that I was an anti-ICE journalist who didn’t fill out her paperwork, what else might they be missing? How many convicted domestic abusers are being given guns and sent into other people’s homes? How many people with ties to white supremacist organizations are indiscriminately targeting minorities on principle, regardless of immigration status,” she wrote.
The report divided social media. Critics of ICE said it raised concerns about hiring practices. Others, however, disputed that her receiving an offer would be problematic and that the agency should not disqualify her based on her political views.
"The federal government didn’t illegal [sic] discriminate against a leftist for her political opinion. News at 11," Kyle Shideler of the Center for Security Policy posted to X.
What People Are Saying
Representative Deborah Ross, a North Carolina Democrat, on X: “One more reason Kristi Noem should resign or be removed from office.”
Representative Seth Magaziner, a Rhode Island Democrat, on X: “This is crazy. There isn’t a police department in the country with hiring standards this low.”
What Happens Next
ICE has not commented on the report. The agency is likely to continue facing scrutiny and protests as Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement continues across the country.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines