Overview
- An Atlantic report, citing internal emails and officials, said more than a third of new ICE academy recruits in Georgia have failed the fitness test, with the 1.5‑mile run the most common stumbling block.
- DHS says most new hires are experienced law‑enforcement officers who follow streamlined validation and that standards are not being lowered, with fitness checks moved earlier in training for efficiency.
- ICE has received more than 175,000 applications and is offering incentives including signing bonuses up to $50,000 and student loan repayment as it seeks to hire 10,000 Deportation Officers by January.
- Training for new recruits has been shortened from roughly four months to about eight weeks at FLETC with additional virtual coursework, and only untrained recruits are routinely required to pass the academy fitness test as prior officers may self‑certify.
- Field offices have reported logistical and personnel strains tied to failures and rapid onboarding, including reassignment to administrative roles, legal guidance on revoking offers, and shortages of equipment and workspace.