A bombshell investigation has exposed a pattern of wrongdoing by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and contractors, revealing that at least two dozen employees have been charged with serious crimes as the agency expands rapidly under the current administration.
An Associated Press review found ICE personnel and hired contractors accused or convicted of everything from physical and sexual abuse to bribery, domestic violence and corruption, with offenses spanning both on- and off-duty conduct.
Among the allegations: one immigration official repeatedly abused a woman in his custody; another physically assaulted his girlfriend for years; and a third allegedly accepted bribes in exchange for removing immigration detainers.
These aren’t isolated incidents — veteran agents and supervisors, not just rookies, have been implicated in serious misconduct, according to public records examined by the AP.
Experts warn the problem could get worse.
ICE has more than doubled its workforce in under a year, swelling to over 22,000 employees as deportations and enforcement actions escalate. Critics say rapid hiring, aggressive mandates and weak oversight create fertile ground for misconduct and corruption to take root.
“Once a person is hired… and they are not the right person, it is difficult to get rid of them,” said Gil Kerlikowske, former commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “There will be a price to be paid later down the road by everyone.”
That concern echoes what law enforcement watchdogs saw during the Border Patrol’s expansion in the mid-2000s, when rapid growth was followed by waves of corruption and abuse.
Critics also point to the Trump administration’s stance that ICE agents have “absolute immunity” for actions taken on duty and to weakened internal oversight — factors some observers say encourage bad behavior rather than deter it.
Local headlines across the country have underscored these concerns. In suburban Chicago last year, an off-duty ICE agent was charged with misdemeanor battery after throwing a 68-year-old protester to the ground. In Houston, a deportation officer was indicted on multiple counts for allegedly accepting cash bribes from bail bondsmen. And two Utah-based agents were sentenced to prison for stealing synthetic drugs from government custody and selling them through informants.
ICE spokespeople and the Department of Homeland Security insist misconduct isn’t widespread and say allegations are taken seriously, with background checks and vetting for new hires. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said most recruits come from other law enforcement jobs and are thoroughly screened.
But with detainee populations swelling and enforcement duties growing, public scrutiny over behavior and accountability is intensifying — especially in Democratic-led cities and counties where prosecutors have opened investigations into agents’ conduct.
This review isn’t just about a handful of bad actors. It paints a picture of systemic risk as an aggressive, rapidly expanding immigration enforcement agency operates with broad authority and limited oversight — raising tough questions about accountability, training and the culture inside one of the most powerful arms of federal law enforcement.
