The Unlikely Buddha

Over two years, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has undergone the fastest growth in its history, fueled by record budgets, compressed training, and an aggressive propaganda machine.   What began as a pragmatic hiring reform has become a psychological and bureaucratic experiment—a story of how an agency meant to enforce law now wrestles with its own sense of mission. I. The Money That Built the Machine   Congress’s 2024 appropriations gave ICE $8.4 billion, the most since 2019.  By 2025, that figure had passed $10 billion, and a mid‑year supplemental pushed the total near $10.8 billion for 2026.  Direct‑hire authority opened floodgates: hiring bonuses climbed into the tens of thousands, veteran waivers loosened, and recruiters fanned out on social media promising “a calling for patriots.”   The campaign was a political success story—but inside the agency, the acceleration stressed every system built to vet, train, and mentor new officers. ...