When Washington, D.C. resident Josh Sorbe saw The Atlantics recent reporting about the failure rate among new Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruits, the Democratic U.S. Senate press secretary and political strategist decided to put it to the test himself literally.Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocates email newsletter.In a video posted to social media, Sorbe, who is gay, completed the same physical fitness test that has stumped a third of new ICE trainees in 12 minutes and 19 seconds. The challenge 15 push-ups, 32 sit-ups, and a 1.5-mile run in under 14 minutes was part of a Trump administration push to hire 10,000 new deportation officers by next January. Sorbe completed the exercises in less time than the ICE exam allots for the run alone.Related: Josh Sorbe is using his voice on Capitol Hill to fight for LGBTQ+ rightsI was in the middle of a workout, I was lifting, and I ran across an article from The Atlantic that called out ICEs athletically allergic new recruits, Sorbe told The Advocate in an interview on Thursday. I read the test and I was like, one, I know I can do this. Two, its a good opportunity to show just what the reforms that have been happening within ICE since [Homeland Security Secretary] Kristi Noem took over the department and how its very relatable, and its a good way to capture attention to talk about it.The Atlantic report detailed that more than one-third of ICE recruits have failed the agencys physical-readiness exam after the Trump administration shortened training programs and relaxed screening requirements. See on Instagram In his video, Sorbe mocked the administrations recruitment push while running on a treadmill. MAGA is so desperate to villainize immigrants that theyre willing to try to let anyone become an ICE agent, he said in the clip. The standards to join ICE are so, so, so low.Ive been very frustrated with ICE ever since the Trump administration started escalating immigration enforcement efforts, Sorbe told The Advocate. You think about the bureaucracy of a big federal agency rules and tests and things that are oftentimes written and not seen. Well, in the last month and a half, weve been able to see them a lot more of whats happening in Chicago and in Los Angeles and in D.C. Related: Chicago alderperson describes sanctioned violence after ICE detained her for simply asking questionsUnder Trumps mass deportation program, cities with Democratic governors have seen masked ICE agents snatching people, including American citizens, out of cars and homes. Violent scenes with menacing plainclothes officers terrorizing communities have spread across social media as residents film what is happening, often at great peril to themselves. Josh Sorbe at the gym.courtesy Josh Sorbe At the end of this video, Sorbe added, Immigrants make America really f***ing great.Sorbe said his video wasnt planned but quickly became a moment. Its about a shift in culture, he said. Democrats are fit, Democrats are hot, and were tired of Republicans trying to lay claim [to health and fitness] when its so demonstrably false.He added, These targeted advertisements that [Department of Homeland Security spokesperson] Trisha McLaughlin is lauding online whos going to respond to a 1950s-esque racist ad? Its going to be people who appeal to their base. And now were seeing that theyre failing not only the fitness test at record rates, with more than 30 percent failing, but theyre also failing open-book written exams at rates that hadnt been seen before. Its laughable. And I think it speaks exactly to the type of people that comprise the MAGA base.Related: ICE detained San Francisco drag queen after asylum hearingSorbe said he views the ICE Agent Challenge as both a form of political commentary and a way to reclaim fitness culture from the far right. I am a very passionate Democrat who believes that everyone ought to be treated with a basic level of respect that ICE is not demonstrating, he said. I am a fitness instructor and a marathoner. I was a D1 athlete for a long time, and this was a perfect opportunity to totally debunk the idea that Republicans can lay claim here.He added that his video caught the attention of people inside the Department of Homeland Security. I did get a text message from a friend saying that someone they knew at DHS, Im not going to go deeper than that, saw the video, and they were kind of pissed, Sorbe said. Im like, you know what? If I were called out this effectively, Id probably be a little bit pissed too. Josh Sorbe partipates in a 10-mile run.courtesy Josh SorbeIn his interview, Sorbe described the Trump administrations recruitment push as DEI for the MAGA base. I dont want this push or this video per se to be taken as anti-ICE, he said. If you are a dedicated person who really wants to be a law enforcement professional and serve our country as an ICE agent, absolutely. That is an incredible passion to have, and you should definitely consider a career in public service in that way.He added, When theyre receiving orders from MAGA drag queen-in-chief Kristi Noem and lowering standards for them to come in, those are not going to be serious law enforcement professionals.Related: LGBTQ+ immigrants face 'most immediate risk' of ICE raids in Los AngelesSorbe said his frustration runs deeper than fitness. The state of the politics around ICE is so devastating, he said. Every day at work, were talking about whats happening in Chicago now, but its Chicago right now it could easily be any other major city or any other place that Donald Trump sees as an enemy that could be subjected to this next. Imagine if this were happening in your community, how you would feel, and pay attention and speak out against it any way you can.The viral post has already inspired others to join in. I coach HIIT classes in D.C. in my free time, and a couple of my clients actually asked, Are we going to do the ICE agent challenge today? Sorbe said. In the back of my head, I was like, What if the ICE agent challenge should totally become a thing? I would love it if a base of fit liberals who are passionate about this issue start taking it and doing it the same way that I do.For Sorbe, the challenge is about more than exercise. There are two components here, he said. Its about principles and its about performance. MAGA is very, very good at performing, but they have no principles. Democrats are incredibly principled. Theyre on the right side of issues, and we need to be better at taking the opportunities to perform.