Deportation Officer (Over 40) Term

Summary

Are you ready to defend the homeland? Launch a dynamic and rewarding career as a Deportation Officer with Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) at ICE! Join a dedicated team safeguarding U.S. borders and upholding immigration laws, playing a key role in defending our nation. Organizational Location: This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Buffalo Field Office, in Batavia, New York; Buffalo, New York.

Duties

• As a Deportation Officer at the Entry Level, you will work with more experienced officers to provide support and perform the following segments of work related to immigration investigation, custody, identification and location, arrest, prosecution and deportation: Assist with the apprehension of individuals that are accused of violating immigration or related laws; Assist with preparing investigative reports in sufficient detail and accuracy to support possible prosecution and/or administrative action; Perform law enforcement support duties such as taking fingerprints and photographs; Conduct routine interviews using various law enforcement methods and techniques (e.g., observation, interviews, document inspection, data analysis, etc.) to respond to a variety of immigration inquiries and complaints; and Document, transport, deport, and/or escort criminal and non-criminal migrants under the guidance of a more senior officer. Initiate both criminal and civil prosecutions and deport migrants to foreign countries as well as performing various aspects of custodial operations related to civil immigration enforcement. NOTE: Applicants currently serving in the ICE Deportation Officer position cannot use this announcement for reassignment, promotion or change to lower grade purposes. View Common Definitions of terms found in this announcement. These are non-bargaining unit positions. The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Promotion Potential: When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval. Location: Selectees are required to pay all expenses to initial duty location. Travel expenses for training will be at Agency expense.

Qualifications

Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. You qualify for the GL-5 grade level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-4 grade level or equivalent performing duties such as: Experience: Three (3) years of progressively responsible general experience, one (1) year of which was equivalent to at least a GS-4, in the Federal government. The experience must demonstrate the ability to: analyze problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions; plan and organize work; communicate effectively orally and in writing; and deal effectively with others in person-to-person situations. (Note: Such experience may have been gained in administrative, professional, technical, investigative, or other responsible work. Experience in substantive and relevant secretarial, clerical, or other responsible work is qualifying if it provided evidence of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of this position. Experience of a general clerical nature, i.e. typing, filing, routine procedural processing, maintaining records, or other non-specialized tasks, is NOT creditable.); OR- Education: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a Bachelor's degree. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester or 45 quarter hours; OR- Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for GL-5 and will be computed by first determining the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience requirement; then determining education as a percentage of the education requirement; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent. You qualify for the GL-7 grade level if you possess one of the following: Experience: One (1) year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal government) performing basic trainee level duties such as: conducting interviews and writing basic reports to be included in case records; securing signed statements, affidavits and documentary evidence; searching databases to obtain information; answering general inquiries from federal, state, and local government representatives; and under the guidance of a more experienced officer, providing support for the arrest of individuals accused of violating immigration law; OR- Education: Successful completion one year of full-time graduate level education at an accredited college or university. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. OR- Superior Academic Achievement: Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and claim eligibility for superior academic achievement based on one of the following: Class standing in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. OR- Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of successfully completed graduate education in an appropriate discipline and experience as described above. To meet total qualification requirements for GS-7, first determine the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine the education as a percentage of the education required; and then add the two percentages. The total combination must equal at least 100 percent of the requirement. A college transcript(s) is required if claiming education in lieu of experience and must show your grade point average for your undergraduate study, including all transferred courses. GPAs are rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9. Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification. Physical Abilities Assessment (PAA): All applicants must pass the PAA prior to graduation from FLETC. The PAA consists of four parts: 1-Dynamic warn-up (non-scored); 2 - a 220-yard sprint in 47 seconds or less; 3 - an obstacle course in 1 minute and 30 seconds (1:30) or less; and 4 - a 1.5 mile run in 14 minutes (14:00) or less. Motor Vehicle Operation: You must possess a valid state driver's license and be able to drive an automobile or light truck. You may also need to obtain and maintain a state commercial driver's license to operate an over-the-road bus capable of transporting 30 or more persons. Training: Candidates selected will be required to attend and successfully complete the ERO Basic Immigration Law Enforcement Training Program located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). DO training is approximately 71 days in duration. Please note, in accordance to ERO Training policy 11158. NOTE: Employees who do not successfully complete basic immigration law enforcement training and are terminated from training are ineligible to return to the ERO Academy for training, unless selected as a law enforcement officer under a different vacancy announcement. No one will be permitted to attend more than two ERO Academy training sessions.

Education

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)

How to apply

Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from considered. To apply for this position, you must complete the Occupational Questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13054542, and assessment and submit all the required documentation as specified in he HOW TO APPLY and the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section. The complete initial Application must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/08/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. PLEASE NOTE: If your materials are not received by the closing date, your application will be evaluated solely on the information available and you may not receive full consideration or may not be considered eligible. Also, if you do not provide a valid email address, you may not be notified of the outcome of your application. The application process is as follows: 1. To begin your online application, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and or required supporting documentation. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional information. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. We encourage you to apply online. 2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. 3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. 4. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you both on screen and via email notification. 5. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements. 6. Note, set aside at least 30 minutes to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account. To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by return to your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM eastern standard time on 09/08/2026. It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application. One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.