ICE whistleblower accuses agency of ‘deficient, defective and broken’ training amid hiring surge
Ryan Schwank testified ICE cut about 40% of training hours amid a surge hiring over 12,000 new officers, raising concerns about recruits' preparedness and constitutional violations.
- Ryan Schwank, a former ICE instructor and agency attorney, testified at a joint Senate‑House forum on February 23, 2026, that he resigned on February 13 to speak out about training cuts and alleged lies to Congress, saying 'I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution'.
- A rapid recruitment drive expanded ICE from 10,000 to over 22,000 officers to meet deportation targets, with funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for 10,000 new hires and 3,000+ graduates by June.
- Agency syllabuses show ICE training was cut by about 240 hours from a 580-hour program, with exam counts reduced from 25 to 9, and recruits now receive roughly half the previous hours.
- Recent disclosures about ICE training cuts have intensified scrutiny and led Democrats to withhold DHS funding, citing risks to public safety and oversight failures.
- An internal Lyons memo authorizes administrative warrants, but Stevan E. Bunnell said 'The police can't sign their own warrants' and DHS said training was streamlined, not stripped.
144 Articles
144 Articles
Whistleblower and former ICE attorney calls agent training 'deficient, defective and broke'
A former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyer who was responsible for training new deportation officers warned lawmakers on Monday that the ICE training program is “deficient, defective and broken."
Whistleblower: New ICE Goons Don't Get No Stinking Training
Former ICE attorney and training instructor Ryan Schwank in his opening statement. Video screenshot, CSPAN on YouTubeAn attorney who until last week trained new recruits for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement testified before congressional Democrats Monday that new agents are being rushed through training and being taught to ignore constitutional rights, particularly when it comes to bursting into people’s homes. Ryan Schwank said he resigne…
The ex-instructor assured legislators that "deficient training can and will lead to the death of people" and accused ICE of lying to Congress and the American people.
'ICE Is Teaching Cadets to Violate the Constitution,' Whistleblower Says During Congressional Hearing
A former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) instructor told congressional Democrats on Monday that the agency has sharply reduced training requirements for new officers and directed instructors to teach policies he believes are unconstitutional.
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