More than 40 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement hires — many with histories of financial trouble, job instability or past misconduct allegations — were identified through a review of LinkedIn profiles and public records by reporter Ryan J. Foley.
Based in Iowa, Foley used creative sourcing to track recent hires amid a rapid expansion of ICE under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. His reporting found several recruits with unpaid debts that led to legal action, bankruptcies and lawsuits alleging misconduct in previous law enforcement roles. One officer paid $75,000 to settle a claim of falsifying a police report, while another failed to complete police academy training and lasted only weeks in a prior job.
The findings come as ICE undertook a major hiring push, adding thousands of officers as part of a plan to double its workforce after receiving $75 billion to support a mass deportation campaign. The Department of Homeland Security acknowledged some hires began work before completing full background checks, describing vetting as ongoing.
Foley’s reporting shed light on the backgrounds of officers carrying out federal policy on U.S. streets, offering new transparency into a largely opaque hiring process.
Judges praised the work for its originality and for uncovering critical details about ICE’s recruitment practices.
For piercing a veil of secrecy with impactful reporting, Ryan J. Foley wins this week’s Best of AP — Second Winner.
Submission Links
https://apnews.com/article/ice-background-checks-vetting-immigration-8ae6b7b850f7c0265b3cb8b5060ef8fd Video:https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APfindsICEofficersworkingbeforebackgroundchecksdespitepriorissues/ed725e2df44b4b61909fc83bdb77b1ce/video Takeaways:https://apnews.com/article/ice-background-checks-immigration-takeaways-31b38620cf2fea7783042e61d6d27ce9
Related articles
