Over 20 ICE workers charged since 2020 with abuse, corruption, and misconduct amid rapid agency expansion.

At least 24 ICE employees and contractors have faced criminal charges since 2020 for offenses including abuse, corruption, and misconduct, according to an Associated Press review. Cases involve violent assaults, sexual exploitation of detainees, bribery, and off-duty incidents tied to official duties. The agency has nearly doubled in size to 22,000 employees in under a year, raising concerns among experts about increased risks of abuse due to rapid expansion, limited oversight, and heightened enforcement powers. While ICE officials say misconduct is not widespread and new hires undergo thorough vetting, past growth in similar agencies has led to systemic problems, fueling worries about accountability as the agency's reach and detention capacity expand.