Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has drastically lowered recruitment, hiring, and training standards for federal immigration agents, prioritizing personnel hiring over public safety and constitutional law.
Following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which allocated $30 billion for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hiring alone, ICE has more than doubled its force from 10,000 to more than 22,000 agents in just six months. However, this rapid expansion has come at a steep cost: DHS has lowered the minimum age for agents to 18, slashed 240 hours from the ICE training program—a 41 percent reduction—and its sloppy vetting processes and recruitment strategies have resulted in the hiring of agents with ties to extremist groups. Officers are also being instructed to enter homes without a warrant in violation of the Constitution. All of this is inconsistent with requirements at nearly every other federal law enforcement agency and many state and local law enforcement agencies, which have higher standards.
A new report from the Center for American Progress outlines four evidence-based strategies that Congress and DHS must adopt to restore safety and professionalism:
- Improve use-of-force training and ensure accountability for violations.
- Restrict dangerous vehicle pursuits and shootings.
- Strengthen candidate recruitment, screening, and hiring practices.
- Restore the age minimum to 21 years old.
“The Trump administration is flooding U.S. streets with woefully unprepared agents who are being taught to bypass the Constitution,” said Nick Wilson, senior director for Public Safety at CAP and author of the report. “By gutting the very training that ensures agents can fulfill their roles safely and lawfully, DHS is creating a powder keg in cities across the country. We are seeing the results in real time: more excessive force, dangerous vehicle pursuits, and a total lack of accountability. Congress must step in to provide the oversight necessary to restore law and order.”
Read the report: “4 Strategies To Improve ICE and CBP Recruiting, Hiring, and Training Using State and Local Best Practices” by Nick Wilson and Allie Preston
Read the fact sheet: “Fact Sheet: Mandating 21st Century Policing Standards for Federal Immigration Enforcement” by Nick Wilson and Allie Preston
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Rafael Medina at [email protected].