Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that over 150,000 people have submitted applications to Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the agency’s major recruitment campaign this summer.

“ICE has received more than 150,000 applications from patriotic Americans who want to defend the homeland by removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from the U.S.,” Noem said in a press release.

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Of the total applications, ICE has selected 18,000 prospective candidates for tentative job offers.

“Americans are answering their country’s call to serve and help remove murderers, pedophiles, rapists, terrorists, and gang members from our country,” the Department of Homeland Security chief added.

In July, the DHS launched a new website featuring Uncle Sam urging people to apply for one of three ICE positions: deportation officer, criminal investigator, or general attorney.

ICE offers various incentives persuading job prospects to apply, including a maximum $50,000 signing bonus and options for student loan repayment and forgiveness.

In the two weeks following its recruitment campaign, ICE received over 100,000 applications.

The department’s rollout of the recruitment push was made possible by the passage of Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which allocated $75 billion in additional funding for the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The bill set aside funding for arresting and deporting illegal immigrants and expanding detention space in prisons.

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To attract more recruits, ICE lowered its age restrictions for hiring to 21 and eliminated its previous maximum age cap of 37 or 40. The maximum age limit varied depending on the position. The move prompted actor Dean Cain, best known for his role as Superman, to become an ICE officer at age 59.

With more agents joining, ICE will be able to more easily carry out its strict immigration agenda. Right now, the federal agency is carrying out immigration raids in Chicago and Illinois as part of “Operation Midway Blitz.” An estimated 250 arrests have been made since the operation started less than two weeks ago.