ICE Training Programs Under Fire as Whistleblower Alleges Deficiencies and Deception
– A former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) instructor has publicly accused the agency of significantly reducing training standards for new officers and misleading Congress regarding the extent of those cuts, as the Trump administration pursues an accelerated expansion of deportation efforts.
Ryan Schwank, a former attorney and career ICE employee, testified before congressional Democrats on that the agency’s training program is “deficient, defective and broken.” He resigned from ICE on , according to congressional aides, and his testimony represents one of the first instances of a former ICE official who served under the second Trump administration publicly criticizing the agency’s training practices.
Schwank warned that new recruits are being deployed without a sufficient understanding of the law and proper tactics, potentially leading to unlawful enforcement actions. “New cadets are graduating from the Academy, despite widespread concerns among training staff that even in the final days of training, the cadets cannot demonstrate a solid grasp of the tactics or the law required to perform their jobs,” he stated during the hearing.
He further asserted that without substantial reform, ICE will be graduating “thousands of new officers who do not know their constitutional duty, do not know the limits of their authority and who do not have the training to recognize an unlawful order.”
The hearing, organized by Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Representative Robert Garcia of California, comes amid growing calls for accountability following several incidents involving the use of deadly force by federal immigration officers, including the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Schwank’s testimony is expected to bolster Democrats’ resistance to funding the Department of Homeland Security until the Trump administration agrees to implement reforms within ICE, including a ban on agents concealing their identities.
Schwank’s accusations center on the dismantling of what he described as vital training classes, including those focused on use-of-force policies. Documents provided to Congress reportedly show that courses involving use-of-force have been eliminated from ICE officer training. The Department of Homeland Security has denied cutting corners, stating that new officers receive training in firearms, use-of-force policies, and safe arrest procedures.
According to Schwank, the agency is prioritizing rapid expansion over adequate preparation. He accused the department of “lying about what they were doing” regarding the training program. He also expressed concern that recruits are entering the field without a firm grasp of constitutional law and the boundaries of their authority.
The concerns raised by Schwank align with those of a separate ICE whistleblower who recently accused the agency of lying about shortchanging its training programs, including legal training related to the permissible use of deadly force. This latest development adds to the mounting scrutiny of ICE’s practices and the potential consequences of a rapidly expanding deportation force.
The situation is further complicated by the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to rapidly increase the number of deportation officers, raising fears that the agency may be sacrificing thorough screening and training in its haste to deploy personnel. The agency maintains that it is not compromising on training standards.
