Overview
- Former in-house ICE attorney Ryan Schwank testified that the academy program for new deportation officers is deficient, flawed and broken.
- DHS and ICE rejected the allegations, saying recruits complete a 56-day academy plus roughly 28 days of on-the-job training covering firearms, de-escalation and constitutional protections.
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal's office released documents it says show drastic cuts to required courses, testing and training hours for new officers.
- Recent reporting describes basic academy instruction shortened to roughly six to eight weeks from previously 13 or more weeks.
- Schwank said the agency expanded hiring to tens of thousands, lowered the minimum age to 18 and graduated trainees he observed using disproportionate force.