Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jul 17
DHS Extends ICE Academy Training to 71 Days Amid Scrutiny of 12,000 Hires
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jul 17

DHS Extends ICE Academy Training to 71 Days Amid Scrutiny of 12,000 Hires

3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jul 17

Summary

  • DHS said Thursday all new ICE academy classes that began July 1 will run 71 days, and officers who graduated under the prior curriculum will receive added field training.
  • The change follows fresh scrutiny after an ICE officer in Maine shot a Colombian man; relatives told AP the officer had long struggled with serious mental health issues and should not have been armed.
  • ICE has rapidly expanded under the Trump administration, saying in January it had hired 12,000 new officers and agents from more than 220,000 applications, backed by billions of dollars from Congress.
  • That hiring push has drawn criticism that vetting and training were rushed, with AP and Reuters reporting tentative hires before full background checks and internal guidance on handling derogatory information about new employees.
  • DHS denies cutting corners, saying vetting remains rigorous and the longer curriculum adds crowd control, high-risk vehicle stops, live-fire exercises and medical training.

Insights

ICE lowered hiring standards to rapidly expand its force. What other dangerous applicants may have slipped through the cracks?
As fatal encounters rise and a key audit remains unpublished, can ICE's new reforms prevent the next tragedy?
With a known history of violence and mental illness, how did a federal officer receive his badge and gun?