A journalist who applied to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of an undercover reporting project says the agency’s recruitment process advanced her application to a purported “final job offer” with a start date.
According to the reporter, she clinched to job offer despite minimal screening and her failure to complete required paperwork—raising questions about federal hiring controls, due process, and public safety oversight.
Laura Jedeed, author of the Substack newsletter Firewalled Media, described the experience during an interview on MS Now with Chris Jansing.
Jedeed said she initially attended an ICE Career Expo in Texas intending only to report on the event. Instead, she says, she encountered what she characterized as a disorganized process marked by a brief interview, limited questions, and an apparent lack of background review.
According to Jedeed, the interview lasted about six minutes and focused largely on basic identifying information such as her name and date of birth. She provided a resume she said was accurate and publicly identifiable as belonging to a journalist who has been openly critical of ICE and the Trump administration.
“I expected them to Google me and never hear back,” Jedeed said, noting that her professional background and views are easily discoverable online.
From Tentative Selection to Alleged “Final Offer”
Jedeed said she later missed an initial email, which she described as a tentative job offer accompanied by paperwork related to background checks, domestic violence disclosures, and physical fitness requirements. She said she did not complete or return any of the materials.
Despite this, Jedeed reported receiving a request from LabCorp to complete a drug test for ICE. She said she complied, even though she believed she would not pass due to recent cannabis use, which is legal in New York State but prohibited under federal employment rules.
Nine days after the test, Jedeed said she logged into the ICE hiring portal and found that her application status listed a “final offer,” an accepted start date, and a welcome message, indicating employment as a deportation officer.
“I saw a final job offer, a start date, and a message that said ‘welcome to ICE,’” Jedeed said, adding that the listed start date had already passed by the time she checked the portal. She later posted a screen capture video of the portal to social media to support her claims.
DHS Disputes Characterization
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disputed Jedeed’s account in a statement posted on X, stating:
“Applicants may receive a Tentative Selection Letter following their initial application and interview that is not a job offer.”
DHS said such letters merely invite applicants to submit information for further review and do not constitute final employment decisions.
Jedeed countered that the portal language went beyond a tentative selection, emphasizing that it explicitly referenced a final offer and start date. She argued that the distinction is legally significant, particularly given the sensitive law enforcement authority granted to ICE deportation officers.
Legal and Oversight Implications
Legal experts note that federal law enforcement hiring typically requires extensive background investigations, including criminal history checks, drug screening, and fitness evaluations, before a final offer is made. If accurately described, the circumstances raise concerns about administrative controls, data integrity, and compliance with federal hiring regulations.
Beyond the procedural issues, Jedeed warned of broader implications. “What’s disturbing isn’t that they advanced a journalist who openly opposes their mission,” she said. “It’s that we don’t know how many other people this could have happened to.”
The allegations arrive amid heightened scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement practices and renewed debate over transparency, accountability, and civil liberties within DHS agencies.
DHS has not indicated whether it is reviewing the specific hiring portal entry referenced by Jedeed or whether an internal audit of recruitment systems is underway.
