OPINION: If ICE Can Pay $100K and $50K Bonuses, Our Soldiers and Police Deserve the Same

OPINION: By State Representative Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain)

America is witnessing an unprecedented imbalance in how we value our public servants. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is now offering starting salaries that can exceed $100,000, plus signing bonuses up to $50,000 and additional incentives like student loan repayment. These recruitment packages are drawing in law enforcement officers from local police departments and even pulling from our military ranks.

Let’s be clear: if our federal government has the resources to finance ICE agents at this level, then it has the resources to compensate every military soldier and police officer at the same level. Our men and women in uniform, both at home and abroad, have endured underpayment, limited benefits and dangerous working conditions for decades. They deserve equal respect and compensation for the sacrifices they make every day.

The problem isn’t just about pay; it’s about public safety. Local governments across the country, especially in communities like ours, are losing trained and experienced officers to higher-paying federal jobs. This creates understaffing in our police forces, delays in response times and added risk for both officers and residents. In the military, we risk further weakening our defense readiness by allowing this kind of talent drain.

Here’s my position: every state harmed by this policy should consider withholding certain transfers of federal funding until the playing field is level. If the federal government is going to fund ICE at premium rates, it must equally invest in the police officers and soldiers who put their lives on the line to keep our neighborhoods safe and our nation secure.

Local governments need direct compensation from the federal government for every worker they lose to these federal recruitment incentives. This is not just about budgets; it’s about keeping our communities safe.

We cannot stand by and allow Washington, D.C. to raid our local forces without giving back. I call on my fellow lawmakers, governors and community leaders to join me in demanding fairness, equity and a level of respect for all who serve, whether they wear the badge of a local police department, the uniform of the U.S. military or the patch of a federal agency.

If we truly value public safety, we must protect and invest in those who protect us.

Representative Viola Davis represents the citizens of District 87, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Health, Insurance, Natural Resources & Environment and Urban Affairs committees.