‘Defend the Homeland’: DHS unveils striking new ICE fleet to boost recruitment, visibility

The Department of Homeland Security debuted a fleet of newly branded Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles Thursday, one of the most visible public displays in the agency’s history. 

“We will have our country back,” DHS’s official X post says.

The high-profile launch, captured in a professionally produced rollout video on DHS’s X account, comes as the federal government intensifies law enforcement operations in Washington, D.C., under President Donald Trump’s recent crime crackdown.

The agency has traditionally been more discreet in its policing, with agents dressed in plain street clothes to conduct enforcement.

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The video, viewed nearly 200,000 times within hours, features close-up shots of the new fleet as it travels through the nation’s capital, passing landmarks, including the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol and the White House. 

Dark navy SUVs and pickup trucks are outfitted with red and gold striping, large gold “ICE” lettering on the sides, and the slogan “Defend the Homeland.” On the rear, a gold-embossed “President Donald J. Trump” is prominently displayed.

The rap track “TOES” by DaBaby is featured prominently in the background, including the lyric, “My heart so cold I think I’m done with ice (Uh, brr).” The video was shared via X with a recruitment link to JOIN.ICE.GOV.

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According to ICE’s recruitment website, new officers are offered competitive salaries, paid federal holidays and a full federal benefits package that includes health, dental, vision and life insurance, a retirement plan and a Thrift Savings Plan similar to a 401(k). Additional incentives can include tuition reimbursement, transportation subsidies, telework options and access to fitness centers.

The fleet rollout coincides with a surge in visible federal policing in the nation’s capital. President Trump has temporarily assumed control of the D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department for 30 days. DHS says ICE, along with agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the National Guard, are reinforcing MPD patrols and manning city checkpoints.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s office released a fact sheet showing the rollout reflects broader enforcement gains in her first 200 days, including a reported 93% decline in border encounters, a near halt to illegal migration through Panama’s Darién Gap and more than 100,000 job applications to ICE since the “Defend the Homeland” campaign began. The department has also reopened the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement office and logged more than 352,000 arrests since January.

The House and Senate Homeland Security Committee Republican press offices did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The ICE union and agency spokespeople were also contacted.

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Public reaction to the rollout video on DHS’s X account was largely positive Thursday, with replies from veterans, law enforcement families and other supporters. “

Keep up the excellent work, thank you for protecting us,” one user wrote.

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.