Ex-Superman actor signs up to serve as ICE agent

Dean Cain, best known for playing Superman in the 1990s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, says he’s preparing to officially join US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of the agency’s intensified recruitment effort under the Trump administration.

In an appearance on Fox News this week, the actor-turned-law enforcement officer revealed, “I will be sworn in as an ICE agent asap.” Cain already holds positions as a sworn deputy sheriff and reserve police officer.

His announcement follows a video he released encouraging Americans to join ICE, aligning with a bold push by the agency to bring in 10,000 new personnel. The expansion is part of a broader federal plan to accelerate deportations nationwide, with the goal of removing up to one million undocumented immigrants annually.

“I put out a recruitment video yesterday, I’m actually a sworn deputy sheriff and a reserve police officer, I wasn’t part of ICE, but once I put that out there and you put a little blurb on your show, it went crazy,” Cain said during the interview. “So now I’ve spoken with some officials over at ICE, and I will be sworn in as an ICE agent asap.”

He added, “People have to step up. I’m stepping up. Hopefully a whole bunch of other former officers, former ICE agents will step up, and we’ll meet those recruitment goals immediately and we’ll help protect this country.”

ICE’s new hiring campaign was launched in late July and has already drawn tens of thousands of applicants. To meet its ambitious goals, the agency is offering significant incentives, including bonuses of up to USD 50,000 and student loan assistance.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, even issued posters modeled after wartime propaganda with slogans like “America Needs You” and “Defend the Homeland,” featuring prominent officials including President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

By midweek, DHS reported more than 80,000 applications had been submitted. According to Noem, age restrictions for applicants have been lifted to further widen the applicant pool.

ICE, currently composed of around 20,000 personnel stationed in over 400 offices nationwide, is seeking to add a range of positions including deportation officers, legal staff, investigators, and visa adjudicators.

This surge in ICE resources follows the passage of a sweeping spending bill signed by President Trump, allocating over USD 76 billion to the agency, nearly ten times its previous funding, making it the most well-funded law enforcement body in the federal system.

The intensified enforcement and recruitment campaign has sparked backlash from immigration advocates and civil rights groups, who argue that increased raids and deportations under the Trump administration violate due process and human rights. Protests against ICE operations have erupted in multiple US cities in recent years.