In a move indicative of the Trump administration’s prioritization of deportation efforts, employees of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have been asked to volunteer for temporary assignments to aid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. This information, derived from an internal notice obtained by CBS News, signals a continued push towards fulfilling President Trump’s promise of mass deportations.
The USCIS, an agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is responsible for administering the nation’s legal immigration system. Its employees review a wide array of applications for immigration benefits, including requests for U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, work permits, and asylum cases. In contrast, ICE is tasked with enforcing U.S. immigration laws within the country’s interior, identifying, arresting, detaining, and deporting unauthorized immigrants.
In a recent internal request sent by Kika Scott, who is currently leading USCIS in an acting capacity, USCIS employees were asked to sign up for 60-day assignments, or “details,” to assist ICE. These assignments, slated to begin on March 10, could potentially be extended beyond the initial 60 days and are planned for various states. The authenticity of the email was confirmed by two officials at the DHS, which oversees both USCIS and ICE.
The email to USCIS staff stated in part, “Leadership should make every effort to support participation and approve details unless the employee’s absence will have an extreme negative effect on mission accomplishment, including supporting other critical department priorities.”
Despite the majority of the 20,000-strong USCIS workforce being eligible to apply for these ICE assignments, the Trump administration is primarily interested in those with immigration experience. “Employees from any job series and grade may apply, but ICE particularly needs employees with relevant experience to support its operations, including immigration officers, immigration services officers, refugee officers, and mission and operations support personnel,” the email further explained.
The DHS did not respond to requests for comment on this development. However, a DHS source, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media, suggested that the USCIS volunteers could be assigned to assist with detainee processing, case management, records checks, and data entry.
This call for volunteers is just the latest in a series of steps taken by the Trump administration in a bid to marshal manpower and resources across the federal government to support its efforts to arrest and deport the millions of immigrants living in the U.S. unlawfully. These efforts have seen law enforcement officials from several federal agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Internal Revenue Service; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the State Department, tasked with carrying out immigration enforcement operations.
Moreover, the Department of Defense and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have been directed to allow ICE to utilize some of their facilities for holding migrant detainees awaiting deportation. This includes the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Officials at ICE’s investigative branch, Homeland Security Investigations, typically focused on combating child exploitation, human trafficking, and other serious crimes, have also been reassigned to carry out immigration arrests.
However, while ICE has been able to expand its arrest operations across the country under the Trump administration, it continues to grapple with operational and financial challenges that have persisted through both Democratic and Republican administrations. According to internal agency data, ICE’s network of for-profit prisons and county jails was operating at 120% capacity, housing over 46,000 immigrants facing deportation, despite being designed for a maximum of 38,500 detainees.
In summary, the Trump administration’s dedication to its immigration enforcement agenda is reflected in its mobilization of resources and personnel from various federal departments, including the USCIS. However, it remains to be seen how these efforts, coupled with the ongoing operational and financial challenges, will impact the ICE’s capacity to implement its mandate effectively.
