USCIS sees massive surge in 'Homeland Defender' job applications

FIRST ON FOX: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) saw more than 20,000 applicants in less than two weeks for "Homeland Defender" roles as the Department of Homeland Security ramps up their hiring campaign.

The recruitment campaign at USCIS began Sept. 30, and sources at the agency say a hiring campaign of this scale has never been done before.

"I am thrilled with the tremendous response we have received from fiercely dedicated, America-first patriots who want to serve as Homeland Defenders," USCIS Director Joseph Edlow told Fox News Digital.

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"In mere days, more than 20,000 Americans have stepped forward, ready to serve on the frontlines to protect our nation’s sovereignty and restore integrity to our immigration system after four disastrous years of failed Biden administration immigration policies," Edlow explained to Fox. "These applicants are not just candidates—they are guardians of our values, prepared to defend our homeland. We look forward to bringing on this group soon."

The role of a Homeland Defender is to determine whether legal migrants are eligible for green cards, extended visas, or citizenship. Homeland Defenders were previously titled "Immigration Services Officer," though the position was rebranded under the Trump administration. 

14,021 applications were submitted to the USCIS Service Center Operations Directorate and 8,627 applications were submitted to the USCIS Field Operations Directorate. 

The USCIS website touts a potential $50,000 signing bonus, remote work, and no college degree required. 

Fox News Digital exclusively reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recruiting also saw a massive uptick in applications, hitting 141,000 in early Sept.

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Immigration officers across various agencies under DHS have faced scrutiny and security threats by protestors and Democrats alike. 

Secretary Kristi Noem said that ICE agents "are now facing a 1000% increase in assaults against them as they risk their lives to arrest the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens" in August.

The Trump Administration’s recent deployment of agents to Chicago has been widely criticized by Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker, and has faced some legal challenges as ICE officers make arrests.

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U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings, a Biden-appointed judge, tightened ICE’s ability to make warrantless arrests in a Chicago federal court on Tuesday. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to send National Guardsmen to rein in the city’s violent crime amid ICE agent deployment, a move which could also face legal hurdles.

As of late Sept., DHS said that 1.6 million illegal immigrants have been voluntarily self-deported, while 400,000 were removed by federal law enforcement.

"The Trump administration is on pace to shatter historic records and deport nearly 600,000 illegal aliens by the end of President Donald Trump’s first year since returning to office," the agency said in a statement.