The actor who once soared through the skies as Superman is taking on a new, highly controversial role: a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. Dean Cain, best known for his portrayal of the Man of Steel in the 1990s television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, announced that he will be “sworn in as an ICE agent, ASAP,” in a move that has sparked a firestorm of debate.
Cain made the revelation during an appearance on Fox News’s Jesse Watters Primetime after posting a recruitment video on his own social media platforms. He stated that he’s already a sworn deputy sheriff and reserve police officer and felt it was “important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans, not just talk about it.” The announcement comes as the Trump administration launches a new hiring campaign for ICE, offering incentives like a $50,000 signing bonus.
Cain’s decision is a staunch endorsement of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. “We have a broken immigration system. Congress needs to fix it, but in the interim, President Trump ran on this. He is delivering on this. This is what people voted for. It’s what I voted for, and he’s going to see it through, and I’ll do my part and help make sure it happens,” he told Fox News.
A Hero’s Journey or a Villain’s Turn?
The announcement has ignited a passionate debate online, with many critics pointing to the irony of an actor who played an alien immigrant aligning with an agency that is carrying out mass deportations.
“Superman himself would be disappointed in you, Dean,” one user commented on X, to which Cain simply replied, “Not a chance.” The actor has been a vocal conservative in recent years, previously criticizing the director of the new Superman movie for describing the character as an “immigrant” before the film’s release.
The legal and logistical aspects of Cain’s new role have also been questioned. At 59, he is well above the traditional maximum age of 37 for ICE recruits, though the agency appears to have lifted this restriction. Cain has made it clear he is ready and willing to do whatever ICE director Todd Lyons “wants me to do,” stating he would be on the front lines “in a heartbeat.”
For now, the actor’s pledge to join ICE stands as a powerful symbol in the nation’s heated immigration debate. It is a striking example of a celebrity using their platform to champion a political cause, a move that for Cain, he says, is about being a “patriot.”
This video provides additional context from a news report about Dean Cain’s decision to join ICE.