Deportation Officer

Summary

Are you ready to defend the homeland? Launch a dynamic and rewarding career as a Deportation Officer with Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) at ICE! Join a dedicated team safeguarding U.S. borders and upholding immigration laws, playing a key role in defending our nation. Organizational Location: Positions are located within ERO Field Office Areas of Consideration (FOD AOR) and are assigned based on the needs of the agency.

Duties

As a Deportation Officer at the Entry Level, you will work with more experienced officers to provide support and perform the following segments of work related to immigration investigation, custody, identification and location, arrest, prosecution and deportation: Assist with the apprehension of individuals that are accused of violating immigration or related laws; Assist with preparing investigative reports in sufficient detail and accuracy to support possible prosecution and/or administrative action; Perform law enforcement support duties such as taking fingerprints and photographs; Conduct routine interviews using various law enforcement methods and techniques (e.g., observation, interviews, document inspection, data analysis, etc.) to respond to a variety of immigration inquiries and complaints; and Document, transport, deport, and/or escort criminal and non-criminal migrants under the guidance of a more senior officer. Initiate both criminal and civil prosecutions and deport migrants to foreign countries as well as performing various aspects of custodial operations related to civil immigration enforcement. This is an open continuous announcement closing 12/31/2026. The initial cut-off date for qualified applicants to be considered for selection is scheduled for 10/9/2026. Additional cut-off dates for selection consideration will be established based on agency needs. NOTE: Applicants currently serving in the ICE Deportation Officer position cannot use this announcement for reassignment, promotion or change to lower grade purposes. View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement. These are non-bargaining unit positions. This entry-level role requires no college degree and may offer up to $30,000 in signing bonuses. Recruitment incentives available to eligible candidates require a service agreement. An additional one-time $5,000 incentive will be given to eligible candidates in the following hard to fill locations: Karnes City, TX * Folkston, GA * Providence, RI * Binghamton, NY * Milwaukee, WI * Kansas City, MO * Louisville, KY * Amarillo, TX * San Angelo, TX * Casper, WY * Cheyenne, WY * Gillette, WY * Fargo, ND * Duluth, MN * Minot, ND * Rock Springs, WY * Centennial, CO * Albuquerque, NM * Philipsburg, PA * Tucson, AZ * Fort Snelling, MN * Sioux Falls, SD * Rapid City, SD * Cedar Rapids, IA * Grand Forks, ND * North Platte, NE * Lafayette, LA * Seattle, WA * Anchorage, AK * Eugene, OR * Richland, WA * San Francisco, CA * Boise, ID * Springfield, MA * Saipan, MP. Geographic Preference: You have the opportunity to identify TWO geographic preferences in your application. Your preference locations are NOT guaranteed. The duty location extended at the final job offer will be based on the needs of the Agency and availability of positions and funding. Upon final job offer you may be offered a duty location that is not within your geographic preferences. You must be willing to accept any duty location that falls within the area of responsibility (AOR). For example, if offered FOD Atlanta, you may be offered a final duty location of Lumpkin, GA. Please view the duty locations within each FOD AOR ICE Field Offices. If you decline the duty location offered during the official job offer, you will be removed from further consideration. Selectees' applications will not be placed on hold to wait for a more desirable location to become available. You will have to reapply to a new announcement. Location: Selectees are required to pay all expenses to initial duty location. Travel expenses for training will be at Agency expense. The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Qualifications

Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. You qualify for the GL-5 grade level if you possess one of the following: Experience: Three (3) years of progressively responsible general experience one of which includes experience demonstrating the ability to: analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; plan and organize work; communicate effectively orally and in writing; and deal effectively with others in person-to-person situations. (Note: Such experience may have been gained in administrative, professional, technical, investigative, or other responsible work. Experience in substantive and relevant secretarial, clerical, or other responsible work is qualifying if it provided evidence of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of this position. Experience of a general clerical nature, i.e. typing, filing, routine procedural processing, maintaining records, or other non-specialized tasks, is NOT creditable.); OR- Education: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a Bachelor's degree. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester or 45 quarter hours; OR- Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for GL-5 and will be computed by first determining the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience requirement; then determining education as a percentage of the education requirement; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. You qualify for the GL-7 grade level if you possess one of the following: Experience: One (1) year of specialized experience performing basic trainee level duties such as: conducting interviews and writing basic reports to be included in case records; securing signed statements, affidavits and documentary evidence; searching databases to obtain information; answering general inquiries from federal, state, and local government representatives; and under the guidance of a more experienced officer, supporting arrests of individuals accused of violating federal, state, or local government laws; OR- Education: Successful completion one year of full-time graduate level education at an accredited college or university. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. OR- Superior Academic Achievement: In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled. Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and claim eligibility for superior academic achievement based on one of the following: Class standing in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, based on completed courses; Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. OR- Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of successfully completed graduate education in an appropriate discipline and experience as described above. To meet total qualification requirements for GS-7, first determine the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine the education as a percentage of the education required; and then add the two percentages. The total combination must equal at least 100 percent of the requirement. A college transcript(s) is required if claiming education in lieu of experience and must show your grade point average for your undergraduate study, including all transferred courses. GPAs are rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Physical Abilities Assessment (PAA): All applicants must pass the PAA prior to graduation from FLETC. The PAA consists of four parts: 1-Dynamic warn-up (non-scored); 2 - a 220-yard sprint in 47 seconds or less; 3 - an obstacle course in 1 minute and 30 seconds (1:30) or less; and 4 - a 1.5 mile run in 14 minutes (14:00) or less. Medical Requirements: This position has medical requirements. Click here for information about the medical process. You must complete a pre-employment medical examination and be found to meet the medical standards for this position. Age Restrictions: Applicants must meet the minimum entry age of 21. Additionally, the date immediately preceding an individual's 40th birthday is the last day to be referred for selection (PL 93-950 and 100-238). However, the age restriction may not apply to individuals who are qualified preference-eligible veterans or who are currently or have previously served in a federal civilian (not military) law enforcement position covered by 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) or 5 U.S.C.§ 8412(d). Training: Candidates selected will be required to attend and successfully complete the ERO Basic Immigration Law Enforcement Training Program located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). DO training is approximately 71 days in duration, not including weekends and holidays. Candidates who have previously completed CBP Officer Basic Training Program, Border Patrol Agent Basic Training Program, HSI Special Agent Training Program, BIETP, DOTP, ICE-D, or equivalent, may be eligible to attend the Deportation Officer Transition Program (DOTP). NOTE: Employees who do not successfully complete basic immigration law enforcement training and are terminated from training are ineligible to return to the ERO Academy for training, unless selected as a law enforcement officer under a different vacancy announcement. In accordance to ERO Training policy 11158, no one will be permitted to attend more than two ERO Academy training sessions. A student loan repayment incentive may be available, in which case a service agreement will be required.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. The "Rule of Three", Category Rating and Veterans Preference will not apply to this vacancy. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet. Veterans: Although the Direct Hire Authority permits hiring without regard to Veterans Preference, applicants who are eligible for Veterans Preference are still encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e. DD-214, or other substantiating documents). Staffing Policy View information on veterans' preference. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under ICTAP, you must be placed in the well qualified category for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement. Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration. Pursuant to Executive Order 12564, and the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan, ICE is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions (testing designated positions) are subject to random drug testing. Moreover, other drug testing of employees (e.g., reasonable suspicion drug test) may be conducted in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. All applicants tentatively selected for employment at ICE are subject to pre-employment drug testing and a final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result. E-Verify: DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. Benefits

Benefits: DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more. Other Information

Salary: The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the lowest and highest potential salaries for this position. The actual salary range will be based on the applicable locality pay for the selected duty location. Special Salary pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages. Promotion Potential: When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval. Suitability: If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet these standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully obtain and maintain a background investigation for Secret as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. Polygraph: ICE has designated this position for polygraph testing, which you may be required to submit to as a pre-employment requirement. If referred for polygraph testing, you will be required to travel to a testing location at your own expense. If you previously had an unsuccessful ICE administered polygraph examination within the last 2-Years, ICE will use those results, which will eliminate you from continuing in the hiring process. Motor Vehicle Operation: You must possess a valid state driver's license and be able to drive an automobile or light truck. You may also need to obtain and maintain a state commercial driver's license to operate an over-the-road bus capable of transporting 30 or more persons. Mobility Agreement: This position is covered by the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) 1801 Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Mobility Program. As a condition of employment, Deportation Officer must sign a Mobility Agreement acknowledging their willingness to accept geographic reassignment to any ICE/ERO duty location as determined by operational needs. Geographic preferences will be considered when practicable; however, management retains discretion to assign employees based on mission requirements. Employees will generally receive at least 90 days advance notice of relocation, unless essential mission requirements or approved exceptions necessitate a shorter notice period. Relocation expenses for directed reassignments will be reimbursed in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and agency policy. Failure to sign or comply with the Mobility Agreement may result in administrative action, up to and including separation from federal service.