Newly unveiled records have backed a whistleblower’s claim that ICE slashed its basic training program by more than 40 percent as the Trump administration ramped up its deportation blitz.
Documents obtained by The Washington Post corroborated testimony from former ICE instructor Ryan Schwank, who told congressional Democrats last week that the agency cut 240 hours of instructional time from its 580-hour basic training program covering the use of force, conduct of detentions and arrests, and firearms training.
“I am here to convey to the public the danger that is being created at the ICE Academy,” Schwank said in his testimony. “Law enforcement is a deadly serious business. It is not a place for shortcuts. Deficient training can and will get people killed. It can and will lead to unlawful arrests, violations of constitutional rights, and a fundamental loss of public trust in law enforcement.”
Records viewed by The Post showed that the vast majority of training cuts took place in August, just as ICE went on a hiring blitz that included eliminating the age cap and offering a host of new benefits, such as a signing bonus and student loan repayments.
The initial cuts eliminated more than 100 hours of hands-on instruction and practice scenarios in areas such as firearms and fitness training, as well as classroom instruction on topics like case processing and the legal authority of deportation officers, the outlet reported. After further cuts in September, the program was trimmed from 72 days to 42 days.
Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons testified to Congress last month that the agency “reduce[d] the actual calendar days from 75 to 42. We went from five days a week to six days a week. Five days a week was five eight-hour days. We’ve gone to six 12-hour days.”
At the start of the year, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency, touted a “historic 120 percent manpower increase” that saw more than 12,000 new agents and officers hired in less than a year from a pool of more than 220,000 applicants.
The records obtained by The Post showed a high failure or dropout rate among 1,400 ICE recruits who took the shortened basic training program in Georgia between August and January.
The 2025 graduation rate dropped from about 80 percent among recruits who underwent the full-length training to 60 percent among those who took the shorter version, according to the outlet. Those who flunked out, meanwhile, mostly failed written exams or the physical abilities assessment.
The DHS did not immediately return a request for comment from the Daily Beast. The agency told The Post that “students must meet all requirements, otherwise they will not be made law enforcement officers,” citing the lower graduation rate as proof that the training academy has not dropped its standards.
“ICE officers go through a rigorous on-the-job training and mentorship,” the agency said in a statement, adding that new officers apply their learnings to real-life situations, “preserving ICE’s reputation as one of the most elite law enforcement agencies not only in the U.S., but the entire world.”
