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The Department of Homeland Security set the record straight on Immigration and Customs Enforcement training, debunking claims from the media that agents are receiving less training.
A DHS press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News counters falsehoods about ICE’s training programs amid a significant increase in new hires.
'Despite false claims from the media and sanctuary politicians, no training hours have been cut.'
Leftist outlets have claimed that the Trump administration reduced the length of its training course from roughly five months to just 42 days, as reported by the Atlantic in January.
The DHS released further details on Monday about ICE’s training program, discrediting those claims.
The agency explained that ICE recruits receive 56 days of training and an average of 28 days of on-the-job training. Under the prior administration, agents trained eight hours a day, five days a week. Under President Donald Trump, new hires are being trained 12 hours a day, six days a week.
“No training requirements have been removed,” DHS stated, adding that it is the “same hours of training officers have always received.”
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Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers are prepared to accommodate 12,000 new hires in 2026, with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act providing these centers with $750 million to boost the training and readiness of ICE agents, as well as Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection officers.
“DHS has streamlined training to cut redundancy and incorporate technology advancements, without sacrificing basic subject matter content. Under these new improvements, candidates still learn the same elements and meet the same high standards ICE has always required. No subject matter has been cut,” the press release read.
Further, the DHS noted that most new ICE hires are experienced law enforcement officers who have previously completed a law enforcement academy.
Leftist outlets have accused the Trump administration of eliminating Spanish-language courses for ICE personnel.
The DHS responded to this claim as well, explaining that the agency terminated the language classes, which covered only one dialect of Spanish, to instead provide officers with robust translation and interpretation services for multiple languages.
The agency stated that ICE training courses focus on enhancing several skills, including arrest techniques, defensive tactics, conflict management and de-escalation, firearms and marksmanship, and proper use of force.
According to the DHS, new hires who join ICE’s Special Response Teams undergo more intensive training, including 30 hours of tryouts, an SRT Basic Operator Course, ongoing marksmanship training for all issued firearms, and continuous training for specialized skills, such as breaching techniques, perimeter control, hostage rescue, and more.
Further, the DHS described education on the Fourth and Fifth Amendments as an “integral component” of ICE officers’ basic training at FLETC.
“The overarching objective is to ensure that, prior to assuming field duties, every ICE officer has been repeatedly trained, tested, and held to clear standards that require consistent respect for constitutional rights in all enforcement activities,” the DHS said.
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DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis stated, “We have ensured our law enforcement officers get the best of the best training to arrest and remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members from our communities.”
“Despite false claims from the media and sanctuary politicians, no training hours have been cut,” Bis continued. “Our officers receive extensive firearm training, are taught de-escalation tactics, and receive Fourth and Fifth Amendment comprehensive instruction. The training does not stop after graduation from the academy — recruits are put on a rigorous on-the-job training program that is tracked and monitored.”
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