What training do ICE agents receive?

1. What the classroom backbone is: FLETC, CITP and HSI follow‑on

Most new ICE special agents and many officers start at FLETC where they attend the inter‑agency Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) and then an HSI Special Agent Training course as a follow‑on; ICE’s own career pages and multiple career guides describe the 12‑week CITP plus the roughly 15‑week HSISAT as foundational to special‑agent pipelines ^{[2] [1] [3]}.

2. Tactical training: firearms, driving, use‑of‑force and de‑escalation

Practical skills training at ICE includes firearms qualification and range time, emergency vehicle driving and defensive tactics, and use‑of‑force instruction paired with explicit de‑escalation modules intended to reduce the need for force—elements visible in reporting from a FLETC site visit and occupational guides that note scenario‑based exercises and physical conditioning as core components ^{[5] [4]}.

3. Legal and investigative academics: immigration law plus investigative tradecraft

ICE recruits are taught a heavy dose of immigration law and investigative technique—trainers highlight that immigration law’s complexity is second only to the tax code—alongside instruction in constitutional considerations and criminal investigative procedures that agents will apply in arrests and removals ^{[5] [4] [3]}.

4. Language, specialty courses and the ICE Academy handbook

ICE maintains additional, shorter blocks of instruction such as a multi‑week Spanish Language Training Program and other component‑specific courses documented in ICE training materials and handbooks, reflecting the agency’s effort to give some officers language tools and specialized tactical competencies ^{[8] [9]}.

5. Length, variability and recent shifts in practice

While some sources list combined pipelines totaling roughly 22–27 weeks of formal training depending on role, training length is not fixed: historical accounts and watchdog reporting show differences across eras and directorates, and recent reporting alleges that ERO academy time was dramatically shortened in 2025—claims that sparked public scrutiny and official statements about expanding on‑the‑job training to compensate ^{[6] [1] [7] [3]}.

6. On‑the‑job, continuous and advanced training

After initial academies, ICE emphasizes on‑the‑job mentoring, post‑academy refreshers and career‑long specialty modules (cyber, financial crimes, task force collaboration), with ICE materials and career guides noting opportunities for professional development and continued in‑service training ^{[1] [10] [3]}.

7. Critiques, transparency issues and political context

Critics and investigative reports point to opaque curriculum details, truncated academies and controversial field outcomes—reporting on hiring tools, shortened programs and Citizens Academy public‑relations efforts has raised concerns about whether accelerated pipelines and surrogate training (including civilian shooting experiences) degrade preparedness or foster problematic policing cultures; ICE and DHS have defended training while opponents see political and public‑relations motives shaping program expansion and presentation ^{[11] [7] [12] [5]}.

Conclusion

ICE training is a patchwork of standardized federal academy courses (CITP/HSI follow‑on), ICE‑specific modules, practical tactical work and continuing field education; the backbone of classroom and range instruction is well documented, but exact durations, curriculum details and recent modifications have varied across time and sparked public debate, with credible reporting pointing to both substantive training elements and contested administrative changes ^{[2] [5] [7] [3]}.