ICE nodding to far-right extremists in recruitment posts, consultants say

[ad_1] At first look, there could not look like something uncommon in regards to the social media posts which are a part of the continued recruitment drive by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The posts, which encourage People to affix ICE, use the identical aggressively patriotic imagery that’s turn out to be an indicator of the Trump administration’s on-line communications.

However to observers of the far-right, and to members of the far-right themselves, there's something else that's recognizable within the language of the posts.

"I'd describe it as oddly very acquainted as somebody who has been wanting on the white nationalist and neo-Nazi motion for almost a decade now," mentioned Hannah Gais, a senior analysis analyst with the Southern Poverty Legislation Centre, a non-profit that screens right-wing extremism.

"It is disturbing to see that coming from a authorities company."

<img loading="lazy" alt="FILE - A person walks near the stage during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hiring fair in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/7ba16152-63f6-4ef7-9f8a-a6bd1bb6da5b,1769206809294/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C4060%2C2706%29%3BResize%3D796 796w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/7ba16152-63f6-4ef7-9f8a-a6bd1bb6da5b,1769206809294/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C4060%2C2706%29%3BResize%3D1083 1083w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/7ba16152-63f6-4ef7-9f8a-a6bd1bb6da5b,1769206809294/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C4060%2C2706%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) calc(100vw - 32px),730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/7ba16152-63f6-4ef7-9f8a-a6bd1bb6da5b,1769206809294/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C4060%2C2706%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.500369549150037" data-cy="image-img"/> An individual walks by the stage throughout an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hiring truthful in Arlington, Texas, in August 2025. A recruitment drive beginning final 12 months added 12,000 new ICE officers, greater than doubling the scale of the power. (Julio Cortez/The Related Press) Gais is amongst a number of U.S. consultants monitoring a sequence of references within the ICE recruitment posts that, whereas obscure to most, appear to be winking to extremists.

That’s raised the query: Who, precisely, is ICE making an attempt to recruit?

Invoking non-fiction e book in style with neo-Nazis Within the 12 months since returning to energy, U.S. President Donald Trump has overseen a dramatic growth to ICE, the company throughout the Division of Homeland Safety chargeable for imposing immigration throughout the nation.

Trump has set a aim of deporting a million individuals per 12 months. However as ICE has ramped up arrests, it has been repeatedly accused of racially profiling suspected immigrants and utilizing extreme power in its operations.

Below the "Massive Lovely Invoice" handed final summer season, ICE was given $8 billion US to rent 1000's extra brokers. The following recruitment drive included social media outreach.

On Aug 11, 2025, ICE posted a picture on its socials of Uncle Sam at a crossroads. It included the tag line "Which manner, American man?"

The submit echoed a meme in style amongst right-wing influencers, who use the phrase "Which manner, Western man?" as an example a alternative between a picture meant to signify liberal values and a picture representing their very own most popular choice.

However the phrase itself is taken from the title of a 700-page antisemitic nonfiction e book written by William Gayley Simpson and revealed by a neo-Nazi press within the late Nineteen Seventies.

The e book has lengthy been a favorite amongst white supremacists.

Utilizing white supremacist anthem By itself, the language may have been chalked as much as an unlucky coincidence. However different troubling posts quickly adopted.

In October, the Division of Homeland Safety, which oversees ICE, posted a picture of George Washington on horseback with the URL to the ICE recruitment web page. This time the tag line learn "America for People."

It’s a slogan that was utilized in a xenophobic speech by President Theodore Rosevelt in 1916, earlier than being picked up by the Klu Klux Klan, based on America for People: A Historical past of Xenophobia in the US by Harvard historical past professor Erika Lee.

Not lengthy after, DHS borrowed imagery from the favored online game Halo, writing "destroy the flood" atop an armed automobile.

On this planet of the online game, the flood refers to a parasitic alien lifeform. It’s additionally harking back to the language far-right teams use to explain non-white immigrants, based on Gais.

Most just lately, within the aftermath of the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis, ICE put out a recruitment submit emblazoned with the road "We’ll have our residence once more."

On Instagram the submit first appeared with a clip from a tune of the identical title by the Pine Tree Riots.

"It's a tune solely identified in white nationalist circles," mentioned Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the World Venture In opposition to Hate and Extremism.

Since 2020, the tune has been circulated on the messaging app Telegram nearly solely by accounts linked to far-right extremists, based on evaluation by Open Measures, a analysis agency that focuses on on-line extremism.

With lyrics about alternative by foreigners, Beirich says the tune is just in style in white nationalist areas. "That is the form of factor that I am unable to discover to be a mistake," she mentioned.

<img loading="lazy" alt="An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shoots pepper spray at a protester outside of the Bishop Whipple Federal Building, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/eecfcaeb-56f5-4388-bdef-713764648823,1769199459213/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C2722%2C1815%29%3BResize%3D796 796w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/eecfcaeb-56f5-4388-bdef-713764648823,1769199459213/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C2722%2C1815%29%3BResize%3D1083 1083w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/eecfcaeb-56f5-4388-bdef-713764648823,1769199459213/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C2722%2C1815%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) calc(100vw - 32px),730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/eecfcaeb-56f5-4388-bdef-713764648823,1769199459213/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C2722%2C1815%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.499724517906336" data-cy="image-img"/> An ICE agent shoots pepper spray at a protester outdoors of the Bishop Whipple Federal Constructing, Monday, Jan. 12, in Minneapolis. The company has been accused of racially profiling suspected immigrants and utilizing extreme power. (Jen Golbeck/The Related Press) 'Message acquired,' say Proud Boys ICE says it acquired round 220,000 functions throughout its recruitment drive final 12 months, and employed 12,000 new officers, greater than doubling the scale of its power.

Beirich wonders what number of of these candidates had been drawn by the controversial social media posts.

"Essentially the most harmful half is that that is in all probability attracting white supremacists and different racial extremists to maybe be part of the ranks of ICE. And that may be a very poisonous, very harmful state of affairs if it is taking place," she mentioned.

<img loading="lazy" alt="People are checked in during an ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, hiring fair Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/89f96f22-6939-417e-bd11-48ac6b354685,1769200452317/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C8309%2C5539%29%3BResize%3D796 796w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/89f96f22-6939-417e-bd11-48ac6b354685,1769200452317/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C8309%2C5539%29%3BResize%3D1083 1083w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/89f96f22-6939-417e-bd11-48ac6b354685,1769200452317/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C8309%2C5539%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) calc(100vw - 32px),730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/89f96f22-6939-417e-bd11-48ac6b354685,1769200452317/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C8309%2C5539%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.500090269001625" data-cy="image-img"/> Folks examine in throughout an ICE hiring truthful in Arlington, Texas, in August 2025. Far-right teams just like the Proud Boys have boosted ICE's recruitment memes: 'If , .' (Julio Cortez/The Related Press) There have been no latest studies of extremists infiltrating the ranks of ICE. However far-right teams have been responding favourably to the social media recruitment marketing campaign, recirculating the posts on their very own social media channels.

A Proud Boys chapter reposted the "We’ll have our residence once more" advert subsequent to an image of a literal canine whistle, including the road "message acquired."

One other chapter additionally reposted the advert, commenting "Hahah. If , ."

'Attracting the incorrect kind' DHS didn't reply to a request for remark from CBC Information. However when requested by U.S.-based media about its social media posts, DHS has denied it was referring to white supremacist materials.

A DHS spokesperson informed The Related Press that the "We’ll Have Our House Once more" submit was "a reference to 20-plus million unlawful aliens invading the nation."

<img loading="lazy" alt="Demonstrators protest outside the White House in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)" srcset="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/dc4f1631-7c10-466e-9c95-03858c636c73,1769200880338/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5819%2C3879%29%3BResize%3D796 796w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/dc4f1631-7c10-466e-9c95-03858c636c73,1769200880338/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5819%2C3879%29%3BResize%3D1083 1083w,https://i.cbc.ca/ais/dc4f1631-7c10-466e-9c95-03858c636c73,1769200880338/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5819%2C3879%29%3BResize%3D1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 762px) calc(100vw - 32px),730px" src="https://i.cbc.ca/ais/dc4f1631-7c10-466e-9c95-03858c636c73,1769200880338/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C0%2C5819%2C3879%29%3B" style="aspect-ratio:1.500128899200825" data-cy="image-img"/> Demonstrators protest outdoors the White Home on Jan. 10 towards the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis. (Jose Luis Magana/The Related Press) Its outreach on social media is just one a part of an enormous recruitment technique by ICE.

The company will spend $100 million US this 12 months to focus on particular demographic teams, based on the Washington Publish.

That features utilizing geo-tagging expertise to ship recruitment advertisements to individuals who attend, amongst different issues, UFC fights and gun reveals.

ICE has already spent tens of millions working TV advertisements geared toward recruiting disgruntled legislation enforcement officers in sanctuary cities, which make public providers accessible to undocumented immigrants.

"In sanctuary cities, you’re ordered to face down whereas harmful illegals stroll free," the advertisements say, including "Be part of ICE and assist us catch the worst of the worst."

David Lapan, a authorities communications specialist who was a DHS spokesperson in the course of the first Trump administration, mentioned the division seems to be making an attempt to recruit candidates with a selected mindset.

Its messaging is interesting to individuals who “need to eliminate foreigners” and “bust some heads,” Lapan mentioned.

"I believe ICE is headed within the incorrect path in that they are attracting the incorrect kind of particular person to be concerned in a really severe mission that they've," he mentioned.