ICE Training Returns
Homeland Security Secretary Mullin announces ICE training standards will be restored this summer.
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin told a House committee on June 3 that ICE will restore its basic training program to "regular standards" starting July 1, according to AP. The announcement reverses a 42-day accelerated program that slashed training from 584 hours to just 336 hours — cutting roughly 240 hours of instruction since late 2025.
The shift comes as Congress debates a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill and as critics tie the shortened training to a series of violent incidents involving ICE agents, including two fatal shootings in Minneapolis in January 2026.
How 42-Day Training Replaced a 72-Day Standard
When the Trump administration launched a push to hire 10,000 new deportation officers in 2025, ICE cut its training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center from 72 days to as few as 42 days. According to The Washington Post, the shortened program stripped out 50% of firearms training, nearly all physical fitness requirements, and key classes on the Constitution, use of force, and de-escalation.
The results were poor even by the administration's own measures. About 1 in 4 recruits failed the 42-day program, compared to roughly 1 in 5 under the full curriculum — a graduation rate drop from around 80% to 60%, according to GV Wire. Former ICE academy instructor Ryan Schwank went public in February 2026, calling the program a "dangerous husk."
Minneapolis Shootings Turned a Policy Debate Into a Crisis
On January 7, 2026, ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis during an enforcement operation. A second civilian, Alex Pretti, was also killed shortly after. The deaths sparked national outrage and became the central exhibit in Democratic arguments against the shortened training program.
The incidents accelerated a leadership shakeup at DHS. President Trump removed Secretary Kristi Noem in March 2026, appointing former Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin as her replacement. Mullin was confirmed and sworn in on March 24. He testified before a House committee for the first time on June 3, where he said: "All training starting July 1st will be back up to the regular standards. We had to rewrite the curriculum," according to AP.
Democrats Use $70 Billion Funding Bill as Leverage
Senate Republicans voted 52-46 along party lines to begin debate on a bill that would send roughly $70 billion to ICE and Border Patrol through the end of the presidential term, according to The Fiscal Times. Democrats have refused to back new funding without statutory reforms — including body-camera mandates and stronger oversight of detention centers.
During Mullin's testimony, Democrats also pressed him on excessive force cases and reports of inhumane conditions in ICE detention facilities. Republicans framed the return to 72-day training as a natural evolution now that the initial hiring surge is complete — not a concession that the shorter program had failed.
What the Training Reversal Means Going Forward
Returning to a 72-day training cycle will likely slow the flow of new ICE officers into the field. That could push back the administration's deportation targets for late 2026 and into 2027. The hiring goal of adding 10,000 officers to ICE's current force of roughly 22,000 agents now faces a longer timeline.
Whistleblower Ryan Schwank's public testimony has also opened the door to civil rights lawsuits from families of people killed or detained by agents who graduated from the 42-day program, according to WhistleblowerAid.org. Mullin has not addressed those potential legal exposures directly, but his framing of the July 1 change as a "rewrite" rather than a rollback suggests the administration wants to move forward without conceding the old program was a mistake.
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