Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said more than 220,000 people have applied for jobs at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as the agency seeks to fill about 10,000 openings, according to comments made in a Fox News interview aired on Sunday.
Noem made the remarks while discussing morale within the Department of Homeland Security and enforcement operations overseen by former acting ICE Director Tom Homan. She said interest in working for DHS has increased across multiple agencies, including ICE, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the U.S. Secret Service.
“They’re so proud to work for a president that is strong, that is decisive, and that wants to make America safe and enforce our laws again,” Noem said during the interview. “At ICE, we had over 220,000 applications for 10,000 openings.”
🚨 BREAKING: Kristi Noem reveals over **220,000** AMERICANS have now applied to work for ICE
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 1, 2026
Patriots are STEPPING UP to support President Trump’s mass deportation mandate 🇺🇸
THEY’VE ALL GOTTA GO! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/CONJwz4EPy
She added that USCIS has received “tens of thousands” of applications and that applications to the Secret Service have “more than doubled.”
Noem attributed the increase in applicants to the administration’s immigration enforcement policies and broader mission of DHS. “A country with no borders is no country at all,” she said, adding that citizens “deserve safety on their streets” and protection of critical infrastructure.
The interview also touched on deportation operations and criticism from Democrats calling for her resignation. Noem criticized what she described as inaccurate media coverage of deportation efforts, saying enforcement actions are being carried out within the department’s legal authority.
DHS oversees 23 agencies, including ICE, Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Secret Service. Noem said the department’s focus remains on border security, immigration enforcement, and disaster response.
The interview was aired by Fox News and premiered Sunday.
