A former instructor at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has raised serious concerns about the agency’s training standards.
Speaking before Congress, he claimed that new officers are being sent into the field without proper preparation. His statements have sparked political debate, especially as the government plans to rapidly expand the number of ICE officers across the country.
Former ICE Instructor Raises Alarm Before Congress
Ryan Schwank, a former ICE attorney and training instructor, testified before Congress that the agency’s training system is “deficient, defective and broken.” He said new cadets are graduating even though many of them do not fully understand the law or proper use-of-force tactics.
Schwank warned lawmakers that without urgent reforms, thousands of officers could enter the field without knowing their constitutional responsibilities or the limits of their authority. According to him, this could lead to serious legal and safety issues.
He resigned from ICE on February 13 and is now being represented by Whistleblower Aid, a legal organisation that supports government whistleblowers. His public criticism is one of the first from an ICE official who served during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Training Period Reduced Significantly
Documents shared with Congress show that ICE’s training programme has been shortened in recent months. A July 2025 syllabus listed 72 days of training. However, a February 2026 update reduced the programme to just 42 days.
According to an analysis by Democratic staff members, several important courses related to use of force were either reduced or removed. These reportedly include:
- 16 hours of firearms training
- Detailed classes on constitutional rights
- Sessions on protester rights
- Evaluations such as “Encounters to Detention”
- Judgment-based pistol shooting tests
A daily schedule from January 2026 suggests that some recruits are now receiving nearly half the training hours compared to earlier batches.
Schwank told Congress that lessons about the U.S. Constitution and citizens’ rights were drastically cut. For example, he said a two-hour session on protester rights was reduced to just about 10 minutes.
Department of Homeland Security Denies Claims
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, strongly denied the allegations. In a statement, the department said no subject matter had been eliminated. Officials claimed the training had only been streamlined to remove redundancy and include modern technology.
DHS stated that multiple classes on use-of-force policy are still part of the curriculum. They also said that high standards remain unchanged.
However, Schwank responded by accusing the department of being dishonest about the cuts, insisting that key training components were indeed removed.
Abbreviated Training for Experienced Officers
During a separate congressional hearing, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons explained that officers who already have federal law enforcement experience are undergoing shorter training.
According to Lyons, these experienced recruits already know firearms handling, defensive tactics, and criminal procedures. Therefore, their programme focuses mainly on immigration law and ICE-specific rules.
Plan to Expand ICE Workforce
ICE plans to graduate around 4,000 new recruits by September. The administration has also announced plans to hire 10,000 additional officers using funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The agency has been under pressure from the White House to increase arrests and deportations. President Trump has promised the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. Last year, ICE carried out nearly 400,000 arrests, averaging about 1,000 per day. However, this is still below the reported target of 3,000 daily arrests.
Internal DHS data shows:
- 60% of those arrested had criminal charges or convictions
- Less than 14% had violent criminal records
- Around 40% had no criminal record apart from civil immigration violations
Debate Over Warrantless Home Entries
Schwank had earlier filed a whistleblower complaint in January, raising concerns about ICE’s enforcement practices. He claimed that a directive signed by Acting Director Lyons allowed officers to enter homes without judicial warrants if the target had a final deportation order.
Historically, ICE officers were told that entering homes without a judicial warrant violated constitutional protections. However, DHS General Counsel Jimmy Percival defended the new policy, arguing that administrative warrants are legally sufficient in such cases.
Former DHS General Counsel Stevan Bunnell disagreed, stating that law enforcement agencies cannot issue their own warrants without judicial approval.
Political Response and Ongoing Investigation
The congressional hearing was organised by Democratic leaders, including Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative Robert Garcia. Lawmakers have called for accountability and possible reforms, including banning ICE agents from wearing masks during operations.
Schwank said he felt morally responsible to speak out. Senator Blumenthal praised him for coming forward and encouraged other officials with concerns to do the same.
The issue has now become part of a larger political debate over immigration enforcement, officer accountability, and constitutional rights.
