Joseph Moore had been trying for years to build a career in law enforcement. A former Marine reservist and father of two, the 38-year-old man finally secured a position as a deportation officer with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2025. Less than a year later, the agency decided to fire him. And after just a few hours of going to an ICE office in Philadelphia to learn about his job status, Moore died from a self-inflicted gunshot, according to the police.
His case was part of an internal review of some of the thousands of agents hired during ICE’s accelerated expansion to increase migrant detentions and deportations. Months after bringing on about 12,000 new officers, the agency has begun firing some of them after detecting issues in their backgrounds or insufficient performance, according to an investigation by the Washington Post.
Moore had previously worked in Pennsylvania police departments and as a criminal investigator for the Internal Revenue Service but had been fired from both jobs. In May 2026, seven months after joining ICE, the agency began questioning his suitability due to those backgrounds. Moore challenged the decision and continued working for another three months.
On August 21, he suffered an accident with an official vehicle that caused him a concussion and several fractures. Days later, the agency informed him that he would be fired. On August 28, he went to the ICE office in Philadelphia with his service weapon. Local police reported that officers tried to intervene before Moore shot himself.
His family has questioned the official version and maintains that Moore was talking on the phone with an ICE official who was trying to calm the situation. The police, meanwhile, stated that none of the officers fired and that Moore was the one who drew the weapon.
The episode occurred amid a review of the hires made during one of the largest expansions in ICE’s recent history. The strategy, driven by billions of dollars approved by Congress, aimed to increase the staff from about 10,000 to 22,000 officers. To attract candidates, the agency offered hiring bonuses of up to $50,000 and received more than 220,000 applications. In January, it announced that it had hired 12,000 new officers in less than a year.
But the pace of hiring had generated internal warnings about the quality of the checks. A supervisor from ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, responsible for overseeing background investigations, warned in August 2025 that human resources staff were making final offers before completing preliminary checks.
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The official noted that some candidates had been authorized to start their training without fingerprint, identity, or credit history checks being completed. In a memo addressed to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General, he warned of an “unprecedented lowering of standards” and stated that the speed was sidelining basic measures to reduce risks.
The complaint also indicated that the failures could increase ICE’s vulnerability to internal threats, infiltrations, and foreign influence. The supervisor called for suspending the questioned practices, reviewing recent hires, and determining if there were security risks.
Nevertheless, the expansion continued despite these warnings. The agency cut weeks of basic training and allowed some candidates with prior police experience to skip their training academy. Two former officers interviewed by the Washington Post described onboarding processes conducted mainly by email and online courses, without in-person interviews.
Pressure on ICE facilities was also evident. A former agent said his office went from onboarding one or two people to receiving up to 60 new employees, causing a shortage of desks and workspaces.
Doubts about hiring have increased after other incidents. In July, the government announced it would review ICE’s selection procedures following the fatal shooting of an immigrant in Maine involving an agent hired during the large expansion, despite having a history of domestic violence, according to his family and acquaintances. He had also been accused of assaulting several women. Additionally, an Associated Press investigation found that some new officers had serious financial problems, misconduct allegations, and conflicting work histories.
ICE has defended its procedures and stated that it rigorously applies background check standards. The agency also maintained that firings are not new and that personnel decisions are made when an employee does not meet established requirements.
