Inside ICE: The Recruiting Surge and Training Transformation
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is undergoing a major hiring and training expansion at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre in Georgia. With significant funding from Congress, ICE aims to increase its deportation officers by 10,000. Training includes legal education, firearms practice, and de-escalation techniques, amid concerns over recruitment standards.
- Country:
- United States
At the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre in Brunswick, Georgia, under the sweltering sun, this facility has become the epicenter for training new recruits of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. As Congress channels a staggering $76.5 billion into ICE, the hiring mission intensifies with a target of adding 10,000 deportation officers to the current 6,500 on the ground.
The comprehensive training course encompasses diverse modules, including pulling wounded comrades to safety, mastering skills in immigration law, and practicing firearm tactics on ranges cluttered with spent shell casings. Despite the swift hiring surge, acting ICE director Todd Lyons reassures that the agency upholds rigorous training standards, vehemently addressing concerns about potential flaws in vetting new recruits.
Notably, ICE reduces its language training component to optimize time, with the broader curriculum incorporating constitutional law elements like the Fourth Amendment. Instructors emphasize de-escalation strategies as an essential aspect of the enforcement program. The intensive training provides recruits with critical skills before they venture into real-world immigration challenges, reinforcing the agency's operational objectives.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Google News