Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is dropping its age restrictions for new hires in an effort to meet ambitious staffing goals. Previously, applicants had to be at least 21 and generally no older than 37 or 40, depending on the position. Now, candidates as young as 18 — and with no upper age limit — can apply. The move follows a major funding boost from Congress, which directed ICE to bring on 10,000 additional personnel, and comes with added incentives like hiring bonuses of up to $50,000, student loan forgiveness, and abundant overtime opportunities. All recruits will still need to pass medical and drug screenings, as well as a physical fitness test, before reporting for duty.
The hiring push is being paired with an aggressive recruitment campaign, both online and in traditional media. ICE has leaned into bold and sometimes provocative imagery, portraying the work as patriotic, high-stakes, and even cinematic. Whether seen as inspiring or controversial, the messaging underscores the urgency ICE feels in rapidly expanding its workforce to meet its new mission demands.
Layoffs: Department of Defense
The Pentagon is making deep cuts to the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC), slashing nearly 80% of its workforce in a move aimed at streamlining operations and refocusing the agency’s mission. Only 40 personnel — deemed mission-essential — will remain, down from 193 employees last year. Defense officials say the change will save $25 million and return DTIC to its core function: maintaining a centralized library of technical information for the Department of Defense and improving access for its users. Established in 1945, DTIC has long served as a repository for military R&D data, enabling scientists, engineers, and researchers to build on prior work. But officials say the organization’s current structure and aging platforms aren’t keeping pace with modern demands, including AI integration and interoperability with other defense data systems.
The cuts follow a broader pattern of Pentagon downsizing and consolidation. Earlier this year, similar workforce reductions hit the Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, and in February, about 61,000 Defense Department jobs were eliminated across various agencies as part of a government-wide effort to reduce federal spending. Defense Undersecretary for Research and Engineering Emil Michael characterized the DTIC overhaul as a necessary step to eliminate duplication, modernize information-sharing, and better align resources with the Pentagon’s strategic R&D priorities.
Hiring: Hadrian Industries
Hadrian Industries is making a major play in defense manufacturing, announcing a $260 million Series C raise and plans for a massive new AI-powered factory in Mesa, AZ. The 270,000-square-foot “Factory 3” will serve as both a large-scale production facility and a software hub, with an estimated $200 million in capital investment and 350 local jobs on the way. The site is slated to be operational by January 2026 — just six months from now — and will support everything from munitions and shipbuilding to full mission-critical platforms for the DoD. The expansion also marks the launch of Hadrian Maritime, a dedicated division bringing the company’s autonomous manufacturing model to naval defense and supply chains.
Hadrian’s “Factories-as-a-Service” approach allows defense contractors to scale production capacity quickly, tapping into an advanced manufacturing stack that covers raw material to finished product. Powered by its proprietary Opus software, the company claims its facilities can be stood up in under six months — a speed it says is critical for building resilient, on-demand defense supply chains. This rapid expansion comes amid 10x year-over-year growth and positions Hadrian to open four to five additional facilities over the next year, each targeting high-demand defense sectors such as missile systems, munitions, and uncrewed aerial systems.
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Opportunity to Watch
Anduril Industries has officially entered the U.S. solid rocket motor (SRM) market, ending a decades-long duopoly and becoming only the third domestic supplier alongside L3Harris Technologies and Northrop Grumman. The move comes as global conflicts — from the war in Ukraine to unrest in the Middle East — drive unprecedented demand for munitions and strain existing production capacity. To meet that demand, Anduril has opened a $75 million manufacturing facility in McHenry, MS, which has already grown its workforce from 40 employees in early 2024 to more than 100 today. The site is capable of full-rate production and aims to churn out 6,000 tactical motors annually by 2026, backed by automation, digital systems, and process innovations the company says the industry has long needed.
Best known for autonomous drones and AI-powered defense platforms, Anduril is bringing new tech to the SRM space — including a bladeless high-speed mixer and a custom aluminum-lithium fuel blend it claims can boost missile range by up to 40%. The company has already test-fired more than 700 motors and recently won a U.S. Army contract to develop a new 4.75-inch motor for long-range precision artillery. This expansion follows a massive $2.5 billion fundraising round in June that pushed Anduril’s valuation to $30.5 billion, positioning it as a major new player in a critical segment of U.S. defense manufacturing.
