Aug 23, 2025
Just days before student loan borrowers in the U.S. were due to see their interest forgiveness program SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) come to an end, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced huge cash incentives to entice citizens to join Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The agency is hoping to recruit deportation officers and other agency roles with signing bonuses of up to $50,000, and student loan debt forgiveness of up to $60,000. Other benefits include higher-than-standard overtime pay and promises of enhanced retirement benefits.
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The recruitment drive aims to double the agency's existing headcount. Currently, ICE has 20,000 employees between officers and support roles. The President has vowed to deport one million people per year, though in July, only 27,483 individuals were deported, a 13% drop from the month before.
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The large cash incentives offered by ICE point to the real issue: Americans are not in support of ICE’s activities. CNN reported in July that 55% of Americans say the president has “gone too far” in deporting illegal immigrants. A further 59% oppose arresting and detaining undocumented immigrants who have no criminal records.
ICE’s strategic recruitment drive
The "One Big Beautiful" tax and spending bill allocated more than $76 billion to ICE, funding this new spending spree for the agency. The bill gives ICE nearly 10 times its previous budget, and makes it the best funded federal law enforcement agency in the country.
By contrast, the SAVE program was projected to cost $475 billion over 10 years, and offer major relief to the more than 12 million Americans whose student loan debt is over $40,000.
The recruitment drive is designed to appeal to patriotism, with redesigned WWII posters depicting Uncle Sam. "America Needs You" and "Defend the Homeland" are the slogans.
However, even those who are insiders believe the surge in recruitment is a bad idea. Speaking to the Associated Press, former ICE chief of staff Jason Houser said he believes the recruitment drive will see the agency hiring bad actors. He compares the move to the recruitment drive in Customs and Border Protection in the 2000s.
"If they start waiving requirements there like they did for Border Patrol, you're going to have an exponential increase in officers that are shown the door after three years because there's some issue," he said.
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The student loan debt crisis in America
The strategic financial incentives come at a time when many Americans are feeling the squeeze of student loan debt.
According to Department of Education data, between 2007 and 2024, student loan debt increased from a total of $516 billion to $1.6 trillion. The number of borrowers increased more modestly during that time — from 28.3 million to 42.7 million. In other words, the number of borrowers increased by 50.9%, but the total debt owed increased 210%.
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The SAVE program, therefore, was a relief to millions of Americans who were struggling with high interest rates on their loans. As of April 2025, five million people were in default on their student loans. A further four million were in late-stage delinquency, and close to defaulting.
Loan forgiveness is a powerful tool in enticing cash-strapped Americans into the ICE agency, but will it be enough to convince Americans to join an agency that has already amassed a horrible track record of human rights violations? A number of credible reports of people being denied urgently needed healthcare, being held in solitary confinement against the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, and of children being detained in large numbers have alarmed Americans and led to mass protests as well as grassroots efforts to circumvent ICE activities.
Tackling student loan debt ethically
While it remains to be seen if the recruitment drive will have the intended results, in the meantime, American student loan borrowers who were depending on the SAVE program have got to sort out their budget planning for making increased payments.
Borrowers are advised to:
- Budget for making more than the minimum payment on their loans to pay down the principal faster.
- Enroll in autopay to lower your interest rate.
- Consider making biweekly payments in order to cut down on interest costs.
- Refinance your loan if you have good credit and a steady income.
As of now, borrowers may keep their student loans under the SAVE program until July 1, 2028. However, their interest will continue to accrue. They can then switch to the Standard Repayment Plan or Repayment Assistance Plan.
The rules on these plans are currently in flux under the Trump administration’s changes, and borrowers are advised to keep an eye on the Federal Student Aid website for more details on which program to choose to help with their debt repayment. You may also want to speak to your financial advisor to help determine the best plan of action for tackling your debt.
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Rebecca Holland is dedicated to creating clear, accessible advice for readers navigating the complexities of money management, investing and financial planning. Her work has been featured in respected publications including the Financial Post, The Globe & Mail, and the Edmonton Journal.
