How have Spanish‑language and de‑escalation components of ICE training changed since 2020?

1. Spanish-language training: a five‑week requirement removed

ICE historically ran a roughly five‑week Spanish Language Training Program for new hires (the DRO SLTP) and the academy handbook and public materials described that course as a core component of field readiness ^{[5] [6] [7]}. Multiple news outlets and DHS communications in mid‑August 2025 confirmed that ICE removed the mandatory five‑week Spanish course to shorten basic training, with training director Caleb Vitello saying the course produced only “moderately” competent Spanish speakers and the requirement was cut to reduce time in the classroom ^{[2] [3] [8]}. Reporting also indicates DHS or ICE spokespeople confirmed the change, and some outlets say the agency plans more translation via unspecified technology rather than an institutional language competency baseline ^{[9] [10]}.

2. De‑escalation: policy language upgraded, training evidence mixed

DHS’s updated use‑of‑force policy and ICE statements emphasize proficiency in de‑escalation tactics as required by the department, and recent training descriptions note an explicit curriculum element teaching de‑escalation techniques intended to prevent use of force ^{[4] [3]}. However, an earlier deep dive into ICE training documents found none of those materials — dating from 2006–2011 and acknowledged as incomplete — addressed how to de‑escalate tense encounters, and that gap shaped a generation of agents ^[4]. ICE has revised training at least twice (2015 and 2022), but public reporting does not provide a complete, current curriculum to confirm how extensively de‑escalation pedagogy was expanded after 2022 ^[4].

3. Practical changes and the technology substitution claim

Beyond removing the five‑week Spanish requirement, outlets including The Intercept and Newsweek reported that ICE is shifting toward using technological translation aids rather than a standardized human language‑proficiency baseline, though the technology in question remains unspecified in reporting ^{[10] [1]}. Advocates and former officials quoted in some coverage portray the change as lowering standards and prioritizing rapid hiring and deployment, while ICE officials frame it as streamlining training and placing some language learning responsibility at field offices ^{[9] [2]}. Those competing narratives reveal implicit agendas: operational efficiency and surge capacity on one side, and concerns about communication failures and civil‑rights risk on the other ^{[2] [9]}.

4. Transparency, documentation gaps and what reporting cannot yet show

Available independent documents that found de‑escalation lacking are dated and acknowledged as incomplete, and ICE’s more recent public statements and brief reporting snippets do not disclose the full updated curriculum or the exact nature of translation technologies being relied upon ^{[4] [10] [3]}. A DHS supplemental language‑access plan exists from 2020, but public materials don’t map that policy directly onto the training changes implemented in 2024–25, so definitive assessment of classroom hours, skill‑proficiency targets, and hands‑on de‑escalation practice is not possible from the cited reporting alone ^{[11] [4]}.

5. Bottom line: meaningful changes with important unknowns

ICE has clearly scaled back formal, classroom Spanish training for new recruits and highlights de‑escalation in current training descriptions, but reporting shows older training lacked de‑escalation content and leaves open whether recent curricular revisions and any new technology substitutes fully mitigate the communication and force‑management risks critics warn about; independent verification of current coursework, testing standards, and field outcomes remains lacking in the public record ^{[1] [3] [4] [10]}.