ICE fired approximately 5,000 agents two months ago.

Posted by Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov, Sep 30, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictFalse

Sources: 5 contradict
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 75%

Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica TarlovSep 30, 2026

The claim that ICE fired about 5,000 agents two months ago is contradicted by the sources. The 5,000 figure is a planned hiring push reported by the NYT and Washington Post, while federal workforce data show about 2,900 total departures in the first half of 2026, with firings only about 18% of separations, and no source reports a 5,000-person firing.

What was said

… Which then, Susan Collins, allow that to go through? Just as a reminder, they just fired a bunch of ICE agents, and this is so stupid. I saw this headline and I was like, yeah, they literally, two months ago, fired like 5000 ICE agents. You didn't, because they weren't vetted properly, because they, the, like, 26 day ones that are out of the- And there was even reports that they were being forced to pay back their bonuses, and they couldn't. It was a whole mess. …

Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov · Sep 30, 2026· from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Contradicts. The 5,000 figure refers to a planned hiring push of 5,000 new ICE employees in the coming months, not to firings, according to the Washington Post and New York Times reporting of September 29, 2026.[1][2]

Contradicts. USA Today analysis of OPM data shows just over 2,900 people left ICE in the first half of 2026, including both quits and terminations, so a 5,000-firing event is far larger than the recorded total departures.[4][5]

Contradicts. Terminations made up about 18% of ICE separations in 2026, and the Raw Story summary of federal workforce data describes firings as a share of exits rather than a 5,000-person event.[3][4]

Context. Some recent ICE hires were removed (hundreds by spring, per NYT), and the speaker in the post walked back the 5,000-firing remark, saying 'You didn't,' so the claim departs from the post's own correction.[2]