Allegations of Misconduct and Wrongdoing Among ICE Agents

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has faced scrutiny due to 148 ‘open allegations’ of agent misconduct and possible criminal activities over the past three years. Internal records obtained by Newsweek reveal issues including sexual assault, bribery, and drug smuggling. Allegations also cover domestic violence, drunk driving, and misuse of government computers from fiscal years 2023 to 2025, spanning the terms of Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

These records additionally detail 10 incidents involving the discharge of service weapons that required mandatory reporting. Newsweek accessed these records via a Freedom of Information Act request concerning ICE agents under investigation for misconduct or criminal allegations. ICE’s response provided a log of ‘open allegations’ with 18 cases from 2023, 69 from 2024, and 61 from 2025.

This period aligns with a significant increase in ICE agent recruitment. In January, the Homeland Department stated that ICE expanded its workforce from roughly 10,000 to 22,000 in less than a year. John Sandweg, former acting ICE director under President Barack Obama, noted that the number of open investigations does not necessarily imply a rise in misconduct claims. Instead, it may suggest delays in case resolutions.

Allegations involving ICE are typically reviewed by the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility, responsible for investigating employee misconduct and policy violations. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson confirmed that ICE diligently adheres to personnel vetting regulations, ensuring applications are evaluated under guidelines for national security and available information.

“We take allegations regarding misconduct seriously and cherish the public’s trust. We work tirelessly to uphold the rule of law and hold ourselves accountable,” the spokesperson stated.

Internal ICE Records Reveal Misconduct Cases

Approximately 30% of the cases, involving 44 instances, were classified under ICE’s coding as criminal or criminal non-federal matters. The remaining 104 cases were categorized as non-criminal misconduct, administrative issues, or recorded information. The records included 10 allegations of intentional service weapon discharge, with categories ranging from those resulting in death or serious injury to those causing property damage or minor injury.

Other allegations comprised 10 investigations related to DUI/DWI, six allegations of misuse of government vehicles, five bribery-related investigations, two adult sexual assault investigations, and three domestic violence investigations. There were also two allegations classified as sexual harassment.

The largest categories recorded were misuse of government computers, email, or telephone systems, with 15 cases. This was followed by 12 allegations each of misuse-of-position conflict-of-interest and hostile work environment.

These records do not specify the identities of individuals involved nor indicate whether allegations were substantiated or resulted in disciplinary actions. Sandweg mentioned that allegations regarding misuse of position and workplace harassment are historically common in large law enforcement agencies.

Sandweg highlighted, “History has shown us that rapid agency expansion, prioritizing quick recruitment over workforce quality, often leads to increased misconduct allegations.”

Increased Scrutiny and Legislative Response

The disclosures, acquired through a Freedom of Information request, followed 19 months after Newsweek filed its request, offering a rare glimpse into ICE’s investigative system.

Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern over ICE’s activities and transparency. U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson, ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, commented on the increasing misconduct allegations, emphasizing the need for prioritized professionalism in federal law enforcement.

Representative Seth Magaziner from Rhode Island highlighted alarming data on excessive force at ICE during the Trump administration’s deportation activities. He mentioned widespread videos of aggressive actions by ICE agents at protests and other encounters, asserting that such behavior warrants immediate disciplinary measures in any other agency.

Newsweek’s inquiry to the Republican chairs of the U.S. House and Senate committees, Andrew Garbarino and Rand Paul, sought comments on these issues.

The allegations span the tenure of both Presidents Biden and Trump. ICE’s organization of FOIA data by fiscal year rather than specific incident dates means cases initiated during Biden’s final months overlap with those from Trump’s term.

Fiscal year 2025 included President Biden’s nearly four months in office before transitioning to President Trump on January 20, 2025.