ICE training was slashed, records show, corroborating whistleblower claims

"The previously undisclosed records obtained by The Post show that, as the whistleblower said, ICE last year removed about 240 hours from its basic training program, or more than 40 percent of instructional time. The documents also offer new insight into how and when the training program was reduced. The vast majority of the cuts occurred in August, the records show, as the Trump administration pushed ICE to double the number of officers in the field by the end of 2025."

"The initial cuts eliminated more than 100 hours dedicated to hands-on instruction and practice scenarios, including half the 56 hours once spent on firearms training, the records show. Fitness training time was almost entirely cut. Also eliminated were dozens of hours of classroom learning on such topics as case processing and deportation officers' legal authority."

"With further cuts later that fall, the records show, ICE had eliminated three-quarters of the hours once dedicated to evaluating recruits' practical skills, including firearms handling. The agency eliminated time for driving tests and cut all 26 hours previously allotted for evaluating recruits' grasp of skills specific to immigration enforcement and deportation operations."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement significantly reduced its basic training program while expanding its workforce to expedite deportation efforts. Records obtained by The Washington Post confirm a whistleblower's allegations that ICE removed approximately 240 hours from its training curriculum, representing over 40 percent of instructional time. The majority of cuts occurred in August as the Trump administration directed ICE to double its field officers by end of 2025. Eliminated training included hands-on firearms instruction, fitness training, and classroom instruction on case processing and legal authority. By January 1, over 900 officers completed the shortened training program, more than triple the typical graduate numbers, and were deployed to field offices nationwide.

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