“My daughter used to say, ‘Daddy sends people away,’” Cole recalls. “Now she says, ‘Daddy helps kids come home.’ Same knowledge. Different compass.”
Whether DOTP expands nationwide will depend on the next administration’s immigration priorities. But for a small cohort of officers who once saw no exit except burnout, the program offers something rare: a second act in the same story, written with a different ending. If you or someone you know is a deportation officer seeking transition resources, the DOTP hotline is available through the ICE Employee Resource Center (confidential, non-recorded line). deportation officer transition program (dotp)
But when he hung up his ballistic vest at 52, he didn't retire to a quiet life of fishing. He became a caseworker for unaccompanied minors. “My daughter used to say, ‘Daddy sends people