The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has become the centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s expanded immigration crackdown, buoyed by a $75 billion, four-year spending package Congress passed in July. Armed with record resources and broader authority to conduct raids, the agency has been told by the White House to make roughly 3,000 arrests a day—ten times last year’s pace under former President Joe Biden. Internal interviews conducted by Reuters with two current and nine former officials depict an agency straining under the workload. Long shifts, frequent redeployments and pressure to meet arrest targets have led to burnout and morale concerns; some specialized agents say they have been diverted from probes into human trafficking and transnational crime to routine immigration sweeps. The stepped-up campaign is reflected in the numbers. Average daily arrests surged more than 250% in June from a year earlier, while detentions of migrants with no criminal record jumped to 221 a day from 80 during Biden’s tenure. Although 69% of those taken into custody still have criminal convictions or charges, viral videos showing officers in tactical gear detaining parents outside schools and workers at job sites have fueled nationwide protests. To relieve the pressure, ICE has begun an aggressive hiring push aimed at adding 10,000 officers and expanding detention capacity to at least 100,000 beds. The drive features wartime-style posters, social-media ads and signing bonuses of up to $50,000, and has already attracted about 115,000 applicants. Training for new recruits has been shortened to 47 days, a move veteran officials warn could compromise quality and oversight. Public opinion has softened as the operation intensifies: Trump’s approval rating on immigration slipped to 43% in an August Reuters/Ipsos survey, down from 50% in March. Homeland Security officials insist the measures are justified by the president’s January national-emergency declaration, but critics inside and outside the agency worry that the rapid build-up risks overreach, staffing gaps and further erosion of community trust.