Laura Jedeed, 38-year-old journalist infamous for her fierce opposition to former President Donald Trump and fierce anti-ICE activism, found a sudden change of career path. Things changed dramatically with an unexpected job offer from the enforcement branch of Homeland Security, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. The alleged offer, which she initially took to be authentic, should have spurred the agency’s hiring practices and vetting procedures under fire and the agency’s vetting and hiring processes.
In August 2025, Jedeed participated in an ICE Career Expo hosted at the Esports Stadium Arlington outside Dallas, Texas. Recruiters at the career fair were actively advertising for immediate hiring as deportation officers. From her previous work and public statements, Jedeed felt that her background would make her entirely disqualified from even being considered for this role. Then, on September 3, she got a rather alarming email saying she had a “tentative offer” from ICE. The corresponding message told her to log into a federal government jobs portal and fill out numerous forms.
To show what this looked like, Jedeed recorded a video screengrab that went out on X.com showing her final offer and onboarding date. She was just never able to complete the steps needed for a new job. Instead, she received an email that expressed appreciation for getting through the various steps of the process, instructing her to schedule a drug test.
“The [screengrab video] I posted in response clearly shows a final offer and onboarding date, which I interpreted to mean a final offer and onboarding date. Maybe it has some other secret meaning, but I haven’t learned what it might be – ICE did not respond to a request for comment.” – Laura Jedeed
After much deliberation, Jedeed turned down the job offer—thinking it was a mistake in the making. Civil rights advocates had warned that ICE’s deeply politicized and xenophobic recruitment practices are poorly supervised, and Rep. “They are prioritizing current law enforcement first. They’re going to adjudicate your resume,” an ICE recruiter had told her during the expo, emphasizing the agency’s focus on filling positions with experienced personnel.
Jedeed illustrated, with direct experiences she had with an active deportation officer, at the expo. When she mentioned that she was open to a potential desk-based role, she saw his demeanor shift. The officer candidly stated, “Just to be upfront, the goal is to put as many guns and badges out in the field as possible.” This comment goes to show the combative and militarized operation of ICE’s recruitment tactics.
Each of these submissions demonstrated an alarming lack of thorough vetting in the hiring process, a fact that should deeply frustrate Jedeed. She warned of dangers that could be presented by poorly vetted replacement applicants. “If they missed the fact that I was an anti-ICE journalist who didn’t fill out her paperwork, what else might they be missing? How many convicted domestic abusers are being given guns and sent into other people’s homes? How many people with ties to white supremacist organizations are indiscriminately targeting minorities on principle, regardless of immigration status?”
Each of Jedeed’s claims was fully addressed in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s response to Jedeed’s assertions. “This is such a lazy lie. This individual was NEVER offered a job at ICE. Applicants may receive a Tentative Selection Letter following their initial application and interview that is not a job offer,” stated a DHS spokesperson. “Letters like these simply mean that the agency has invited you to send additional written material for them to consider,” the spokesperson reiterated.
“DHS probably has no idea whether ICE offered me a job, which is kind of the point of the article: they have no idea what they’re doing.” – Laura Jedeed
Katie Rayford, the other journalist who broke this story, stood by her reporting on ICE’s revolving-door recruitment process. Rebuttal We continue to defend our story, which shows how little vetting goes into ICE’s hiring process. Rayford continued to point out that, as evidenced via video documentation, the reporter made it through several rounds of hiring process. Our GoFundMe helped the journalist get a final offer letter and even a start date!
In light of these revelations, Jedeed’s experience serves as a critical reminder of the potential flaws within ICE’s recruitment and vetting systems. Her case raises very crucial questions. Most importantly, it undermines the agency’s core mission of responsibly qualifying and vetting its officers to ensure they are fit to serve as guardians of their communities.
“It’s another example of how little they care about the safety of the American people they are allegedly protecting.” – Laura Jedeed