Liberal journalist Laura Jedeed alleges that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hired her despite her public criticism of the agency and the Trump administration, raising questions about the agency’s vetting procedures. The Department of Homeland Security has countered that she was never formally offered a position.
Laura Jedeed, an Army veteran deployed twice to Afghanistan who now writes for left-wing publications, attended an ICE Career Expo in Texas last August out of curiosity about the hiring process. She assumed her online portfolio, filled with anti-Trump and anti-ICE sentiment, would disqualify her, but recruiters showed little interest in her journalism career during the interview.
Despite not submitting required paperwork such as background check forms or a domestic violence affidavit, Jedeed received an email in early September indicating a tentative job offer. She missed the initial email but later logged into the USAJobs portal to find her status listed as ‘Entered On Duty,’ with a welcome message to ICE, suggesting she had been hired as a deportation officer.
Jedeed also took a pre-employment drug test less than a week after using cannabis, expecting to fail, but the results did not appear to hinder the process. She emphasized that she made no effort to hide her views, including having a page on an Antifa watch website, yet the agency seemingly overlooked these red flags.
The Department of Homeland Security responded to her claims, stating that applicants may receive a Tentative Selection Letter after an interview, which is not a job offer, and asserted that Jedeed was never offered a position at ICE. DHS called her story a ‘lazy lie,’ but Jedeed clapped back with video evidence of her portal showing the onboarding details.
This incident has sparked criticism about ICE’s recruitment standards, with Jedeed questioning whether the agency’s vetting process is thorough enough to prevent domestic abusers, sex offenders, or racists from being hired. She argued that if someone openly hostile to ICE can be recruited, it indicates systemic flaws in the hiring system.
The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of ICE’s operations, particularly following recent incidents involving agents. It raises broader concerns about transparency and accountability within federal immigration enforcement agencies under the current administration.
As the story gains traction, it highlights ongoing debates over immigration policy and the effectiveness of government hiring practices, with implications for public trust in law enforcement institutions.
