What’s Drawing Recruits to ICE?

Nostalgia, nationalism, and an astonishing ad campaign

In September, the Department of Homeland Security began posting recruitment ads for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on social media. The images evoked warm nostalgia for an idyllic America — Norman Rockwell’s 1946 Working on the Statue of Liberty, paired with slogans like “Protect Your Homeland. Defend Your Culture” and Calvin Coolidge’s remar…