Slate journalist Laura Jedeed has sparked controversy after claiming she was offered a job with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a brief interview that involved minimal vetting. In an article published this week, Jedeed described attending an ICE Career Expo in Arlington, Texas, in August 2025, where she applied for a deportation officer position despite being openly critical of the agency.
Jedeed, a former US Army soldier who served two tours in Afghanistan, said her interview lasted less than six minutes and consisted of basic questions about her name, age, and military experience. She claims she was later sent a tentative job offer via email, despite not completing required paperwork such as a background check authorization or domestic violence affidavit.
After ignoring the initial steps, Jedeed said she received another email asking her to schedule a drug test, which she took despite having used cannabis days earlier. She then logged into the USAJobs portal and discovered her status showed 'Entered on Duty,' indicating she had been formally hired. Jedeed turned down the offer, suggesting the process revealed serious flaws in ICE recruitment.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has disputed Jedeed's account, calling it a 'lie.' However, Jedeed told the Guardian that DHS 'probably has no idea whether ICE offered me a job, which is kind of the point of the article: they have no idea what they’re doing.' She questioned how many individuals with problematic backgrounds might be hired through such a leaky system.
