Politics
NEW: Secret Service Plans To Hire Thousands Of Additional Agents
The United States Secret Service has initiated a significant recruitment effort to expand its workforce substantially in the coming years.
Agency leaders have outlined a goal to hire approximately 4,000 new employees by 2028, marking an increase of about 20 percent and pushing total staffing beyond 10,000 for the first time.
This expansion targets special agents, Uniformed Division officers, and support personnel to address ongoing operational demands and prepare for upcoming high-profile events. This includes growing the special agent force from roughly 3,500 to 5,000 and increasing Uniformed Division officers to around 2,000, with additional hires in technical, operational, and administrative roles.
To support this growth, the agency has introduced measures such as Accelerated Candidate Events (ACE), which condense the hiring process and can reduce onboarding time by up to 120 days. Recent ACE sessions have drawn hundreds of applicants, and the agency offers recruitment incentives, including bonuses up to $40,000 for certain positions.
Leadership for this initiative comes from within the Secret Service, primarily under Deputy Director Matthew Quinn, with support from Director Sean Curran. “The protective mission has expanded. Our numbers are low to meet those needs. We have to achieve what we said we were going to do 10 years ago,” Quinn told the Washington Post.
Sean Curran was appointed to serve as Secret Service director after previously working on President Trump’s protective detail
The effort aligns with federal budget requests, including the Fiscal Year 2026 proposal for $3.5 billion, supporting over 8,800 positions. This represents an increase of hundreds of new positions when compared with previous years.
Additional funding has been allocated for marquee events like the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics, both of which are expected to be attended by President Donald Trump and senior cabinet officials.
Several factors drive this hiring surge, including shortcomings under the previous administration.
The agency anticipates multiple major events in 2028, including the presidential election — with potentially competitive primaries that could increase the number of protectees — and the Los Angeles Summer Olympics and Paralympics, both of which require extensive security coordination. Officials have also highlighted concerns over staff burnout, high turnover rates, and an intense workload.
Many experienced agents have left for other opportunities, and a significant portion of the workforce approaches retirement eligibility. Former officials note that previous expansion goals fell short due to challenges like leadership changes and external disruptions.
Recent security incidents have underscored resource strains, with reports of understaffing in specialized teams and reliance on overtime. Investigations into these events identified issues related to personnel constraints and morale, though experts indicate that increased staffing is part of a broader need for operational improvements.
The agency has reported positive recruitment trends, with applications rising sharply in early 2025. Efforts continue through advertising campaigns and events to attract qualified candidates.
Challenges persist, however, including competition for talent with other law enforcement entities and the lengthy training process required for new hires. In order to address these issues, the Secret Service has secured additional training slots to accommodate growth.
