The Department of Homeland Security on Friday celebrated an influx of new Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, which increased by a historic 120% in 2025.

The department began pushing for new agents in August, offering competitive salaries and benefits that include a $50,000 signing bonus, enhanced retirement benefits and student loan repayment and forgiveness options.

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the surge of new agents, which went from 10,000 ICE agents to 22,000 agents during the first year of President Donald Trump's second administration, is because of Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill. 

"We now have an additional 12,000 ICE agents on the ground across the country," McLaughlin said on Fox Business. "That's a 120% increase in our workforce, and that's just in about four months. That really is remarkable. I think that's a major bright spot in what this administration has been able to do over the past year."

The hiring spree comes after the Trump administration deployed thousands of ICE and Border Patrol agents in multiple Democratic-run cities last year to carry out major immigration crackdowns by arresting and deporting illegal migrants. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.