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Who is Laura Jedeed, journalist claiming ICE offered her job with minimal vetting
DHS and journalist clash over alleged job offer and recruitment standards
A New-York based journalist claimed she was offered a job with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a brief interview and without completing standard vetting procedures. The account has led to a public dispute between the reporter and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Laura Jedeed described her experience in an article published this week, saying the hiring process raised serious questions about ICE’s recruitment standards. According to the Guardian, DHS has rejected her claims, calling them false and insisting that no formal job offer was made.
The dispute stems from Jedeed’s visit to an ICE Career Expo in Texas last year, where recruiters were advertising immediate hiring for deportation officers. She said she later discovered her application appeared to have advanced to a final hiring stage, despite her not submitting required paperwork.
DHS has said the status reflected only a preliminary step in the recruitment process, while Jedeed maintains that internal records showed otherwise.
Who is Laura Jedeed?
Laura Jedeed is a 38-year-old reporter with Slate and a former US Army service member. According to the Guardian, she enlisted after high school and was deployed twice to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division.
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After leaving the military, she worked as a civilian analyst before transitioning into journalism.
Jedeed has been openly critical of president Donald Trump and has described herself as “anti-ICE,” a stance she said should have disqualified her during a background review had proper screening been conducted.
Jedeed attended an ICE Career Expo in August 2025 at Esports Stadium Arlington near Dallas. She said her interview lasted less than six minutes and involved basic questions such as her name, age, military background, and reasons for leaving the armed forces.
She was later emailed a “tentative offer” and instructed to complete onboarding documents, including consent for a background check and disclosures related to criminal history.
Jedeed said she did not submit the forms but continued receiving follow-up emails, including a request to schedule a drug test.
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When she later logged into the USAJobs portal, she said her status showed “Entered on Duty,” which she interpreted as a final job offer.
DHS denied that a job offer was made, stating that tentative selection letters do not constitute employment offers. Jedeed disputed that explanation and shared a video of her application status, which she said showed a final offer and start date.
