Percent of white ice agents
Executive summary
Available public reporting and compiled datasets put the share of ICE (or immigration-enforcement) personnel who are white in the broad neighborhood of roughly 55–60 percent, but recent massive hiring drives and inconsistent public breakdowns mean a firm, up-to-date percentage for ICE specifically cannot be confirmed from the provided sources [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. What the numbers say now — the best estimates
Two independent data compilations give a consistent picture that white staff are the plurality or slight majority among immigration-enforcement personnel: a 2023 Zippia profile of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement showed white employees as the largest single group at about 55% [1], while a separate Zippia breakdown for “immigration officers” more generally reported whites at about 59.6% in early 2025 [2]. These privately compiled labor-statistics snapshots are the clearest numeric citations available in the reporting provided, and they point to a roughly mid‑50s to high‑50s share of white personnel in the relevant job categories [1] [2].
2. Why precision is elusive — data gaps and changing headcounts
Official DHS and ICE pages exist for statistics and equal-employment reporting, but the specific up‑to‑the‑day racial composition of ICE’s workforce is not clearly published in the excerpts provided here; ICE’s statistics portal and DHS EEO management office are the authoritative sources that would hold the definitive demographic breakdowns [4] [5]. Complicating matters, ICE announced a massive hiring surge at the start of 2026—reporting more than 12,000 new officers and a doubling of its force—an operational shift that could materially change workforce demographics since earlier surveys were taken [3]. Because the new hires arrived after some of the demographic snapshots, the percent-white figure may have shifted and a current official EEO report would be needed to lock it down [3] [5].
3. Alternative evidence and scholarly context on diversity
Academic and investigative reporting complicate simplistic takes: a Notre Dame study and related coverage show substantial Latinx representation among immigration agents and explore why Latinos join these agencies—economic incentives and regional recruiting patterns matter—underscoring that the workforce is not monolithically white [6]. Latino Rebels and other outlets have highlighted that Latinos make up a significant share of ICE and Border Patrol ranks in some data points, though the specific percentages and comparisons cited in older public reporting vary and are not fully consistent across sources [7].
4. Why the composition matters — policy, public perception, and recruitment concerns
Demographic composition is policy‑relevant: critics argue that who enforces immigration laws shapes community trust and allegations of racial profiling, reporting that ICE operations have increased and sparked profiling complaints amid large detentions [8]. Meanwhile, investigative coverage and watchdog reporting about ICE recruitment practices and cultural signals inside hiring campaigns have raised concerns about the kinds of applicants being attracted and whether recruitment leans toward particular ideological or racial pools—points that matter if recruitment changes the agency’s demographic profile after a major hiring push [9] [10].
5. Bottom line and how to get a definitive number
The most defensible answer from the reporting provided is that roughly 55–60% of immigration-enforcement officers or ICE employees have been characterized as white in publicly available private datasets and past profiles [1] [2]; however, a definitive, current percentage for ICE’s total workforce after the 2026 recruitment surge is not established in the sources supplied. For an authoritative, up‑to‑date figure, the agency’s published workforce demographics or the DHS EEO annual reports would be the correct primary documents to consult [4] [5].