According to internal records obtained by Newsweek, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) currently has 148 open allegations against agents. These allegations, spanning the past three years, include serious claims such as sexual assault, bribery, and drug smuggling. Records also cite allegations of domestic violence, drunk driving, and misuse of government computers during fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025, covering both Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s administrations.
Furthermore, ten incidents of service weapon discharges were documented, necessitating mandatory reporting. Newsweek acquired these records through a Freedom of Information Act request, which sought information on ICE agents under investigation nationwide for alleged misconduct or criminal activity. In their response, ICE provided a log named ‘open allegations.’
The breakdown of cases shows 18 from 2023, 69 from 2024, and 61 from 2025. During this period, ICE significantly increased its officer and agent workforce from around 10,000 to 22,000 in less than a year, according to the Homeland Department.
John Sandweg, the former acting ICE director under President Obama, commented that the number of open investigations is notable. He expressed concerns about whether these cases are being resolved efficiently. Sandweg served from August 2013 to February 2014 and highlighted the importance of timely case resolutions.
“What strikes me as interesting is the number of open investigations,” Sandweg said. “I wouldn’t necessarily attribute that to an increase in alleged misconduct. It raises questions for me about whether they’re moving these cases towards resolution.”
The ICE Office of Professional Responsibility is tasked with reviewing allegations involving ICE personnel, including investigating employee misconduct and policy violations. A DHS spokesperson affirmed that this office rigorously applies personnel vetting regulations, including national security guidelines, to evaluate information about each applicant.
Approximately 30 percent of the allegations, equating to 44 cases, were classified as criminal or non-federal criminal matters. The rest included non-criminal misconduct, administrative issues, or information recording. Allegations involved ten incidents of intentional service weapon discharge—five causing death or serious injury, three without injury or damage, one resulting in property damage, and one causing minor injury.
Additional allegations included ten DUI/DWI investigations, six regarding misuse of government vehicles, five bribery-related investigations, two adult sexual assault cases, two drug-smuggling incidents, and three domestic violence investigations. Two cases were classified as sexual harassment.
The largest number of allegations involved misuse of government computers, email, or telephone systems, with 15 cases. Other significant categories were misuse-of-position conflict-of-interest allegations and hostile work environment allegations, each with 12 cases. The records do not specify individuals involved or if the allegations were substantiated or led to disciplinary actions.
Sandweg noted that misconduct involving misuse of position, government property, and workplace harassment is historically common across large law enforcement agencies.
“History has shown us that when you build up these agencies quickly, and you put your focus not on ensuring the quality of your workforce, but rather how quickly you can get more agents out there making arrests, you’re going to get a massive increase in misconduct-related allegations,” he commented.
The disclosures, acquired approximately 19 months after Newsweek’s request, offer an inside look at ICE’s internal investigative system. When approached for comments, DHS and ICE did not provide specific answers regarding the substantiation of allegations or resulting disciplinary actions.
Democratic Responses Amid Increased ICE Scrutiny
ICE’s aggressive enforcement activities have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and watchdogs, particularly concerning allegations of excessive force, racial profiling, and lack of accountability. ICE arrests reportedly reached about 50,000 in August, according to NBC News.
Several high-profile shootings involving ICE agents have spurred calls for greater transparency regarding use-of-force practices and internal oversight. Notable incidents include the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Ruben Ray Martinez in South Padre Island, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, and Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine.
U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson, ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, expressed concern about rising allegations against ICE agents and highlighted the importance of law enforcement professionalism. He criticized the current Republican Congress and administration’s lack of oversight and accountability.
“I’m very disturbed by that criminal allegations against and misconduct from ICE agents are on the rise. The professionalism of our law enforcement should be of the utmost priority for the Federal government – and for Congress,” Thompson said.
Representative Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island expressed alarm over the data, especially the lack of disciplinary measures for excessive force at ICE during the Trump administration. He pointed out that such behavior would typically lead to immediate discipline in other law enforcement agencies.
“The American people have seen countless videos of ICE agents attacking peaceful protesters, needlessly shooting and killing people in the streets, and engaging in other behavior that would lead to immediate discipline in any other law enforcement agency,” Magaziner stated.
Newsweek reached out to Republican chairs of the U.S. House and Senate committees, Andrew Garbarino and Rand Paul, for comments regarding these issues.
The records encompass investigations from both the Biden and Trump administrations. ICE’s organization of the FOIA data by fiscal year prevents isolating cases initiated during specific parts of their terms. Fiscal year 2025 began on October 1, 2024, and concluded on September 30, 2025, with President Biden in office for nearly four months before transitioning on January 20, 2025.