The Brief
ICE sent law enforcement officers emails to boost recruitment.
The emails touted a hefty signing bonus.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey called the tactic "backhanded."
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A recruitment email from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is drawing sharp criticism from some Florida sheriffs, who say the agency is attempting to poach deputies from their ranks after years of partnership.
What we know
When the deputy director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sent immigration-certified law enforcement officers an email in an effort to boost recruitment for the agency, it drew the attention of some Florida sheriffs.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said the email felt like a betrayal. Ivey said more than 80 of his deputies received the email. He shared a copy of the email with FOX 35 News.
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"Your experience in state or local law enforcement brings invaluable insight and skills to this mission — qualities we need now more than ever," the email states. "This is more than a job; it’s a continuation of your service to our country..."
It also boasts a $50,000 signing bonus for new recruits who agree to work for the agency for five years. The bonus would be paid out over five years.
What we don't know
It's unclear how many law enforcement officers will join ICE who were inspired by the email. ICE was not immediately available for comment ahead of publication.
What they're saying
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey finds the move appalling.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Ivey asked of ICE. "Why would you go after those that are trying to help you and try and recruit away the law enforcement officers from the very law enforcement agencies that are protecting our communities?"
Ivey said in speaking with sheriffs across the country, they've determined most, if not all, emails were sent to members of local agencies and not at state agencies.
"My guess is they didn’t want to aggravate the governors of the states by going after state law enforcement, so they just crapped on us," Ivey said.
Despite the uproar, Ivey said many of his deputies found the recruitment email laughable.
"Actually, some of them deleted it, because we talk to them so much about the different scams where people are trying to do intrusions, so they wouldn’t even click on the link because they thought maybe it was a trick or something," Ivey said.
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Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri shared similar concerns in a statement.
"We have partnered with ICE like no other state," Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said in a statement. "ICE actively trying to use our partnership to recruit our personnel is wrong, and we have expressed our concern to ICE leadership."
Some departments, like Seminole and Orange counties, said the email hasn’t impacted their recruiting efforts, but acknowledged it underscores the ongoing competition for law enforcement talent.
"We will continue to recruit individuals who believe in our organizational philosophies and desire to serve their local communities," Seminole County sheriff's deputies said in a statement."
"We don’t believe it makes it harder for us to compete [for recruits]," Orange County deputies said.
The Source
FOX 35 News interviewed Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey. His office supplied a copy of the letter. FOX 35 News also reached out to sheriff's offices across central Florida and received statement responses from offices in Seminole, Orange and Pinellas counties.
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