This appears to stem from a doctored Forbes headline. I cannot find the original article on the Forbes website, and the screenshot of the headline linked in the Bluesky post features a typeface that differs from the one normally used by Forbes.
While ICE has indeed faced complaints about poor working conditions, this does not seem to have translated into mass resignations. According to The Atlantic, overworked agents have described working conditions as "miserable" and characterized their mission as "impossible." However, the agency continues to scale up under the Trump administration.
In fact, ICE is actively expanding its workforce. Politico reported in late August 2025 that the agency "is surging hiring: ICE currently has about 6,500 deportation officers, and it is aggressively looking to beef up those numbers." Acting Director Todd Lyons aims to hire an additional 10,000 officers by year's end. To achieve this goal, "the agency has launched a new recruiting website, offered hiring bonuses as high as $50,000, and is advertising at career expos." Lyons reported that the agency has already received 121,000 applications, many from former officers.
Other reporting further contradicts claims of mass resignations affecting productivity. The New York Times' coverage of increased ICE activity in Chicago shows the agency ramping up operations rather than scaling back. According to the Times, "in recent weeks, ICE officials have sought significant resources for the operation, including thousands of handcuffs, belly chains, leg irons, as well as a number of gas masks, license plate readers and buses."
