Who Wants to Work for ICE? They Do.

"Immigration and Customs Enforcement held a hiring expo this week outside Dallas at a place called the Esports Stadium. Set between the Texas Rangers ballpark and the roller coasters of Six Flags, the arena was built for video-game competitions, and a wall of bright-blue screens welcomed job candidates at the entrance."

"Inside the cavernous main hall, organizers had parked a shiny Mustang with stenciled lettering that read Defend the Homeland. A blinding 90-foot-wide LED display at the center of the stage was lit up with the ICE logo and recruitment slogans. The setup resembled a poker tournament or an ESPN draft night, lending a whiff of excitement and opportunity."

"ICE's pitch for meaning and purpose seemed to draw in many of the applicants I met. Some were military veterans with combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan who told me they longed for the camaraderie and sense of belonging they once had. Others said they were bored, or wanted to serve the country, or fill a hole in their life left by a failed marriage or the creeping regrets they felt in middle age after screwing up in their 20s."

"Chris Freese, 34, who works in elevator repair, told me he wished he had joined the military after high school like his brother, who became an explosives expert in the Army. "I'll do anything to help secure the country," said Freese, who wore a T-shirt and cap emblazoned with the American flag, but had forgotten to bring his résumé. "If I don't make it this time, I'll keep trying," he told me."

ICE held a high-production hiring expo outside Dallas at an Esports Stadium near the Texas Rangers ballpark and Six Flags. The event featured large LED displays, a branded Mustang, and recruitment slogans promising honor, integrity, and meaningful law-enforcement careers. Attendees included military veterans seeking camaraderie, people bored or seeking purpose, and those filling personal voids after life setbacks. One applicant, a 34-year-old elevator repair worker, said he wanted to help secure the country and planned to reapply if unsuccessful. The Trump administration plans to hire, train, and deploy 10,000 new ICE officers by early next year.

Read at The Atlantic