I.C.E.'s "Wartime Recruitment" Campaign

Summary

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On the Media: I.C.E.’s "Wartime Recruitment" Campaign

Podcast: On the Media (WNYC Studios)
Hosts: Micah Loewinger, Brooke Gladstone
Episode Date: June 3, 2026
Featured Guest: Drew Harwell (Washington Post technology reporter)

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the controversial and aggressive recruitment campaign initiated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Trump administration. It dissects the messaging strategies ICE uses to appeal to potential recruits, the ethical implications of these tactics, and the broader media impact. The conversation draws on leaked documents, investigative reporting, and notable viral moments to highlight concerns about propaganda, the normalization of extremist language, and the erosion of traditional hiring standards in federal law enforcement.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Escalating Unrest and Enforcement at ICE Facilities

• [00:00–01:19]
  • Protests against inhumane conditions at Delaney Hall in New Jersey escalate, leading to violence between demonstrators and federal agents. Even public officials like Senator Andy Kim are harmed.
  • DHS officials (Mark Wayne Mullen) deflect criticism by blaming organized groups like antifa.

2. ICE Funding and Recruitment Campaign Origins

• [01:19–02:13]
  • Under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” act, ICE’s budget triples to $30B, with $100 million assigned to “wartime recruitment.”
  • Drew Harwell obtained ICE’s internal marketing strategy documents detailing a multipronged national recruitment push.

3. Propaganda-Style Advertising and Cultural Messaging

• [02:13–03:17]
  • ICE ads range from nostalgic, almost World War I–style imagery (Uncle Sam, “fighting invaders”) to meme-driven, edgy campaigns mirroring action movies and popular video games (e.g., Halo’s “Destroy the Flood”).
  • Host notes the extreme dehumanization of noncitizens portrayed in these campaigns:

    “This is like an extremely dehumanizing lens through which to talk about noncitizens.” (Micah Loewinger, [03:00])

4. Omni-Channel Outreach and Influence Tactics

• [03:35–04:11]
  • ICE targets Gen Z on platforms from Spotify to Snapchat and YouTube, running ads framing their mission as heroic and dangerous.
  • Traditional TV also overflows with recruitment commercials promoting big signing bonuses.

5. Viral Moments, Parody, and ‘Trolling’ as Recruitment Strategy

• [04:24–05:48]

  • An SNL sketch parodying ICE recruitment ads is clipped and reused by DHS in actual ads—a deliberate blurring of satire and reality.

  • Recruitment ads regularly use pop songs and celebrity content without rights, drawing public ire and artist condemnation:

    • SZA called ICE’s use of her music “peak dark.”
    • Artists denounce these recruitment tactics, but ICE relishes the controversy, seeing it as a way to “go viral” and “troll the libs.”

    “They don’t care... They like trolling the libs. They like being out there smashing people in the face every day. They want to go viral.”
    (Drew Harwell, [06:00])

6. The Questionable Effectiveness of Edgy Media Strategy

• [05:48–07:04]

  • Despite viral reach, broader poll numbers show deep public backlash to Trump’s immigration policy.

  • The approach seems less about changing minds, more about energizing a narrow, ‘very online’ base.

    “Maybe the strategy is being driven by very online people who love trolling, people who love being edgy. But is that actually good policy for government?”
    (Drew Harwell, [06:52])

7. Extremist Dog Whistles and Nativist Messaging

• [07:04–08:14]

  • ICE uses coded language and imagery with extremist roots:

    • “We’ll Have Our Home Again”—title of a neo-Nazi-associated song appears in an official ad just after a racially motivated mass shooting.
    • Both hosts and Harwell dismiss the idea of coincidence, suggesting intentional targeting of far-right sympathizers.

    “You don’t just accidentally use Nazi songs, trip over your feet, and accidentally use far right dog whistle memes.”
    (Drew Harwell, [08:17])

8. Real-World Targeting and Modern Marketing Parallels

• [08:17–10:24]

  • ICE employs geofencing at venues like rodeos, gun shows, NASCAR events, and UFC fights; everyone present is served targeted ads.

  • The campaign mimics commercial marketing strategies used by major brands, except now for mass federal hiring for a deeply controversial mission.

    “It seemed exactly like the kinds of methods you would [use] if you were trying to sell Coca Cola. But they’re applying it to this government agency that’s trying to carry out the biggest mass deportation in American history.”
    (Drew Harwell, [09:10])

9. Lowering Standards Amid Need for Numbers

• [10:24–11:34]

  • ICE is aggressively lowering recruitment standards: $50k signing bonuses, student loan relief, and thin vetting to rapidly fill quotas.

  • Applicant quality is a recurring issue, potentially risking public safety and departmental credibility.

    “They’re expanding their standards to a level that people aren’t comfortable with.”
    (Drew Harwell, [11:31])

10. Case Study: The Journalist Who Was ‘Hired’ by ICE

• [11:34–12:45]

  • Journalist Lara Jadid recounts being rapidly ‘hired’ by ICE despite her public opposition and easily discoverable critical reporting, highlighting the depth of vetting flaws.

    “If the agency would not look into the most superficial information about this potential recruit, what are they missing from everybody else?”
    (Drew Harwell, [12:45])

11. Recruitment Numbers and Big Picture Takeaways

• [12:59–14:56]

  • DHS claims 220,000 applications in five months, but it’s unclear how many translate into suitable hires.

  • Host and guest reflect on the normalization of “wartime” rhetoric and nihilistic internet culture in state policy discourse.

    “How much... nihilistic, how much it has bled into public affairs and... consumed media and politics in this country. If we’re talking about deportation in this way on the Internet, the people who are setting policy are going to be seeing this and they’re going to be finding it acceptable to talk about the job in this way.”
    (Drew Harwell, [14:12])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On dehumanization in ICE’s messaging:

  “This is like an extremely dehumanizing lens through which to talk about noncitizens.”
  – Micah Loewinger ([03:00])

• On ICE’s social media ethos:

  “They like trolling the libs. They like being out there smashing people in the face every day.”
  – Drew Harwell ([06:00])

• On repeated use of extremist language:

  “You don’t just accidentally use Nazi songs, trip over your feet, and accidentally use far right dog whistle memes.”
  – Drew Harwell ([08:17])

• On aggressive, commercial-style recruitment:

  “They’re applying it to this government agency that’s trying to carry out the biggest mass deportation in American history.”
  – Drew Harwell ([09:10])

• On the implications for society and policy:

  “If we’re talking about deportation in this way on the Internet, the people who are setting policy are going to be seeing this and they’re going to be finding it acceptable to talk about the job in this way.”
  – Drew Harwell ([14:12])

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00–01:19: Protests and violence at ICE facilities
• 02:13–03:17: Dehumanizing video game references in recruitment
• 04:24–05:48: SNL parody and ICE’s adoption of controversial pop culture clippings
• 07:04–08:14: Use of far-right dog whistles
• 09:00–10:24: Geofencing and physical-world ad targeting parallels major brands
• 11:34–12:45: Journalist exposes ICE’s shallow vetting
• 13:21–14:56: Reflections on the normalization of extremist and nihilistic rhetoric

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Summary Takeaway

This episode provides a deeply reported and unsettling look into how ICE’s “wartime” recruitment campaign appropriates commercial marketing, pop culture, and even virally offensive content to fill its massive hiring quotas. The discussion highlights not only the widespread dehumanization and normalization of extremist ideas in federal law enforcement messaging, but also the peril of sacrificing basic standards and ethics for reach and engagement. As Drew Harwell notes, these tendencies not only reflect the internet’s darkest corners, but are now reshaping the way government agencies define their public image and mission—raising urgent civic and policy questions.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, you're listening to the on the Media midweek podcast. I'm Michael Loewinger. For a second week, reports of inhumane conditions at Delaney hall in New Jersey are drawing protesters and camera crews.

[B]

So protesters outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center showed up to stand in solidarity with detainees who have been holding a hunger strike. These back and forth between demonstrators and officers have actually gotten pretty violent. Last night we got images of officers using their batons to push back the crowd. The confrontations escalated with tear gas and explosive devices being used to break up the crowds. Hands up. No shoes. Hands up. No shoes.

[A]

A handful of journalists and dozens of protesters have been arrested. New Jersey Senator Andy Kim was pepper sprayed by federal agents when he tried to de escalate tensions between ICE agents and demonstrators. Meanwhile, Department of Homeland Security head Mark Wayne Mullen has blamed the usual suspects.

[C]

These riders are organized. These riders are, are sponsored by somebody. We see antifa flags out there. They're not just exercising their First Amendment.

[A]

Under this Trump administration, ISIS operations have ballooned, making it the highest funded US Law enforcement agency. Last July, in the so called One Big Beautiful Bill act, Congress tripled ICE's annual budget from about $10 billion to roughly $30 billion, which includes roughly $100 million for what the agency calls wartime recruitment. Drew Harwell is a technology reporter for the Washington Post. I spoke to him for an interview we first aired earlier this year after he obtained a variety of files from ICE employees about the effort, including one called a quote, surge hiring marketing strategy document, which lays out in very precise detail all the ways ICE wants to solicit new recruits, including producing a ton of advertisements.

[C]

The ads are broken up a couple different ways. One, you have the classic kind of Americana nostalgia ads that basically read like propaganda from World War I. You know, white people on the frontier fighting these invaders. Uncle Sam features prominently. Then you have this other kind of mix that's this very modern meme y edgy kind of campaign that's all action movie posters, video games. The Halo video game features prominently. It makes this policy issue of immigration into this game, this battle.

[A]

But just to like zoom in on the Halo ad, on the Department of Homeland Security's Instagram, we saw an image with the words Destroy the Flood. For those who haven't played Halo, which is a hugely popular video game series, humans are basically fighting a parasitic alien called the Flood that takes over living things and turns them into zombies. I mean, this is like an extremely dehumanizing lens through which to talk about non citizens.

[C]

It is dehumanizing they're trying to attract young people who are online who need a job and will want to join ICE population. But we see the footage of what these deportation actions really look like. Right. There's a much more human aspect to it in reality than there is in these posters, which just kind of reduce it to something you can laugh about.

[A]

And I want to get to who these ideal recruits are. But it's not just Gen Z and it's not just on Instagram. Up until recently, you could hear ads running on Spotify.

[C]

In too many cities, dangerous illegals walk free as police are forced to stand down. Join ICE and help us catch the worst of the worst.

[A]

You can see recruitment ads on local TV across the country.

[C]

Join the Mission to Protect America with bonuses up to $50,000 and generous benefits.

[A]

You can find similar ads on Hulu, HBO, Max, Snapchat, YouTube.

[C]

Yeah, and I remember growing up seeing the military army of One ads that made a similar point where you could be the knight on the front lines. And there were TV commercials. Now, you know, these ads are everywhere.

[A]

So pervasive that SNL did a sketch last October with Tina Fey as Kristi Noem and Amy Poehler as Pam Bondi. Do you need a job now?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Are you a big, tough guy? Yeah. Tough enough for the army or police?

[A]

No.

[B]

But do you take supplements that you bought at a gas station daily? Do you like to use zip ties because people in your life don't trust you with keys?

[C]

You know it.

[B]

Then buckle up and slap on some Oakley's Big Boy. Welcome to ice.

[A]

I think it's worth mentioning that after that sketch, the DHS X account clipped, like, the first 10 seconds of it to make another ad. Which raises something kind of odd about what ICE is up to. The New Yorker reported this month that the Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly used pop songs over some of its recruitment ads by artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, and even a SZA parody song from an appearance on snl. You'll hear this music over footage of ICE arrests. Rodrigo Carpenter and SZA have denounced these videos as hateful, evil, and quote unquote, peak dark, respectively. But it kind of seems like ICE is thriving off of these responses, intentionally trolling famous people to try to drive more headlines and virality.

[C]

Clearly. And, you know, we had gotten some internal messages from ICE where they talk about, well, we don't really have the rights to this music. Maybe it's not the best idea. And members of the ICE team who's putting these out basically say they don't care. This has been something that administration has been very clear about. They like trolling the libs. They like being out there smashing people in the face every day. They want to go viral. People who agree with it tend to share it because they think it's funny. People who hate it and despise it share it as well to show their disgust to the algorithm. It's all the same. It's just kind of silly in a way, because what's happened in these instances is the celebrity will get really mad about it, the video will be pulled offline, and it becomes kind of a controversy. Maybe that works for DHS and ICE because people are talking about him, but then they've wasted all this time on a piece of content that nobody can actually see. I think the big question is whether any of this actually works. General polls of people's sentiment toward Trump's immigration policy. He's way underwater. The social media campaign of being very aggressive and in your face, it hasn't reversed that. Right? It hasn't made people as a whole support Trump's immigration policy. Maybe the strategy is being driven by very online people who love trolling, people love being edgy. But is that actually good policy for government?

[A]

And what are the implications here? It kind of feels like 4chan marketing for people who also grew up on 4chan. I'm thinking of one of these ads the Intercept reported on that ICE posted just two days after Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Goode in Minneapolis. It's an image on the Department of Homeland Security's Instagram that reads, we'll have our home again, which is just innocuous nativist language. Until you realize that that phrase is the title of a song that by a group called Pine Tree Riots that's been embraced in neo Nazi spaces online for quite some time. And the lyrics to that song were the opening to a manifesto posted by a white supremacist who in 2023 shot up a Florida Dollar General and killed three black people. Why post that dog whistle if you're not trying actively to recruit white supremacists?

[C]

There's been enough of these examples now that it's impossible to say that this is all coincidental. DHS and Iceman, we have brought this stuff up to them. They have said, oh, you're going to the Nazi thing again. How tiring. But it doesn't really explain why this keeps happening.

[A]

You don't just accidentally use Nazi songs,

[C]

trip over your feet, and accidentally use far right dog whistle memes. I think part of it is that some of these people come from Republican policy shops, Republican press shops that were very online. They came up into this environment where they were young edgelords. Right. Part of what this document suggested also was that they were going to be going to pro ice influencers. So creators on Rumble and Snapchat and YouTube and Instagram paying them money to get the message out about recruiting. So there's definitely a big online component. The part that really jumped out to me and felt interesting was how they've moved into the real world where they're using techniques like geofencing, where they look at a real world place like rodeos, gun shows, UFC fights, NASCAR races, hunting shows. They're drawing basically a circle around these areas. Anybody who sets foot into those events is going to get a pop up ad on their phone. They're also doing billboards and bus stops. So it really struck me as a pretty sophisticated effort. I talked to marketing experts who do this for real companies and they felt it seemed exactly like the kinds of methods you would if you were trying to sell Coca Cola. But they're applying it to this government agency that's trying to carry out the biggest mass deportation in American history because

[A]

they believe that the people attending these types of events are their prime demographic.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

In the document they talk about their target market being people who are conservative, people who see themselves as patriots, people who listen to patriotic right wing podcasts, but also people interested in military affairs, guns and tactical gear, people who are really into watching fitness influencers. Some of this is is not super new. ICE has traditionally, when they've wanted to backfill positions that they've lost to attrition or retirement, they've often got people who have trained as cops and local police departments and sheriff's offices who want a federal job. But they need so many people now, they're trying to cast a really wide net and going after people who may not have the training and may just be some guy scrolling social media.

[A]

What evidence do we have that DHS is not being so judicious in who they allow into the ranks?

[C]

There has been some reporting on this, especially by people like Nick Miroff at the Atlantic, where they've said they're getting a lot of applications in and they're getting a lot of people who are expressing interest in these jobs specifically because ICE is offering $50,000 signing bonuses and help with student loans, student loan reimbursement programs. They're basically throwing money at new applicants. And ICE is telling us this advertising campaign is working. They're getting all the applications, they need a hundred thousand or more applic. And yet the reporting from people like Nick Miroff and the Washington Post as well has found that people are coming in, they're not able to pass the fitness requirements. They're hitting all kinds of roadblocks. In terms of the testing, we talked to people who are former dhs, ICE officials. They've said they're shifting the bar to a point where they're bringing in people who are not going to be great candidates that may end up on the street without the kind of experience you would hope for in these high pressure situations. So it's possible that to fill this giant mandate and to fill this hole, they're expanding their standards to a level that people aren't comfortable with.

[A]

In fact, there was that viral story from independent journalist Lara Jadid, who wrote about how she was allegedly hired by ICE after visiting a career fair in Texas last summer. Here she is on Democracy Now.

[B]

I went in, I handed in my resume, which was, I did a skills based resume. I'm a veteran. I served two tours in Afghanistan. So on the surface, their resume looked pretty good. Had a very brief interview, took all of six minutes. Then I left, assuming I would never hear back because I'm a very googleable person. I'm the only Laura Jeanit on the Internet and I make no secret of how I feel about ICE and Trump.

[A]

She goes on to say that she initially missed the email from ICE and never filled out the paperwork that they requested with that offer. Stuff like a background check or an affidavit saying she'd never committed domestic crimes. But then a few weeks later, she says, I got a message from LabCorp saying that ICE wanted me to do a drug test.

[B]

And then nine days after that, I was curious, had they processed the drug test yet? So I logged onto the ICE hiring portal and not only did the drug test not seem to be relevant, I was listed as having joined ICE as of three days earlier, which is wild

[C]

to me because she has reported critically on this agency for a long time. So if the agency would not look into the the most superficial information about this potential recruit, what are they missing from everybody else?

[A]

You mentioned that poll numbers would have us believe that there's actually a sizable backlash to ICE's activity across the country. That said, DHS is claiming big new numbers. Upwards of 220,000 job applications in five months. Does that seem legit to you?

[C]

You know, it's their numbers. I don't have any reason not to trust them. You know, number of Applications is not necessarily a proxy for perfect candidates who are being hired. Right. Some of these might be repeat applications. Some of these might be applications that don't work. And again, some of this is probably a reflection of the $50,000 signing bonuses. I mean, some of these deportation officer jobs pay $50,000 salary. So you're basically doubling the salary year one. I think it's impossible to disentangle the success of this kind of recruitment strategy from the actual advertising. We just don't know if one is connecting to the other.

[A]

So many of these examples are incredibly dark. I guess I'm trying to make sense of what it means exactly.

[C]

I think for me, what I'm left with is just this shifting on what we find is acceptable as a way to talk about these things. Like the tone with which the government is discussing getting shock troopers in to enforce the border laws and kick people out of the country. These are policies that are, again, life or death issues that one would hope would be discussed seriously in a sober way. Maybe that's too much to ask. How much the 4chan culture and the edginess of the Internet, how dark it is and nihilistic, how much it has bled into public affairs and how much has consumed media and politics in this country. If we're talking about deportation in this way on the Internet, the people who are setting policy are going to be seeing this and they're going to be finding it acceptable to talk about the job in this way. I just think it's a leading indicator of how this policy is shaped in our country.

[A]

Drew, thanks for doing this reporting.

[C]

Thanks for having me.

[A]

Drew Harwell is a technology reporter for the Washington Post. Thanks for listening to the midweek podcast from on the Media. You can hear the big show on Friday and in the meantime check out our Instagram and TikTok accounts. Just search on the media to see clips from some of our interviews on the show or videos from me and Brooke talking about things that we've been covering. We'd love to know what you think. I'm Michael Oinger.

[B]

Whether it's news from around the world or the latest from your neighborhood, New Yorkers engage with WNYC studios for the information and connection they can only get from our programming. Be a part of that conversation through your business support. Learn [e-mail].