How does ICE academy training differ between ERO, HSI, and other ICE components?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
ERO basic deportation officer training at FLETC is presented in government releases as a shorter, operationally focused program—ICE materials describe 16–20 week courses with immigration law, Spanish, firearms, tactics and physical fitness [1] [2]. HSI special agent training is longer and more investigative: CITP (about 56 days) plus HSISAT (about 71 days) or alternative HSISAT/CITP sequences emphasizing criminal investigative techniques across ~5–6 months [3] [4]. Sources show distinct mission-driven curricula but disagree on precise ERO course lengths in recent reporting [1] [2] [5].
1. Training length and structure: short tactical course versus extended investigative pipeline
ERO recruits are described in ICE materials as completing a basic ERO program that is operational and field-ready; sources give 16 weeks in one release and 20 weeks in another, both at FLETC [2] [1]. HSI special agents undergo a multi-step, longer sequence: a 56-day Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) followed by a 71-day HSISAT agency-specific program, yielding roughly five to six months of basic plus agency instruction before field assignment [3] [4]. Available sources do not mention a single standardized “ICE academy” length that applies to all components beyond these separate program lengths [1] [3].
2. Curriculum focus: immigration enforcement vs. complex criminal investigations
ICE describes ERO coursework as concentrated on immigration law, deportation procedures, Spanish-language proficiency, avoidance of racial profiling, firearms, physical fitness and law enforcement tactics—skills tied to locating, arresting and removing noncitizens [1] [2]. HSI curriculum centers on criminal investigative methodology: criminal law, courtroom testimony, cybercrime, financial investigations, human trafficking, narcotics, surveillance, and customs/immigration statutory authority, alongside tactical and fitness components [3] [4]. This split aligns training content with the agencies’ separate missions [6] [3].
3. Training venues and instructors: FLETC partnership with agency subject-matter experts
Both ERO and HSI training are delivered at FLETC facilities in Glynco, Georgia, with ICE instructors and FLETC staff supporting courses; HSI’s HSISAT is described as taught by experienced HSI special agents and includes a mentor program with senior leaders [4] [3]. ICE statements emphasize integrated ICE OTTP resources and cross-agency coordination to scale up classes [1]. FLETC itself confirms surge support to onboard thousands of ICE personnel, signaling expanded throughput but also pressure on space and scheduling [7].
4. Variations, recent changes and conflicting reporting
Official ICE pages list differing ERO program lengths (16 weeks in one archived release, 20 weeks in another) and HSI program timing varies between sources describing CITP as 56 days and HSISAT as 71 days or alternative 13‑week summaries [2] [1] [3] [4]. Independent summaries and secondary outlets suggest program reforms and surge compressions tied to hiring pushes—some reporting claims ERO academies were shortened in 2025, but that specific claim appears in an uncited Wikipedia snippet and is not corroborated by ICE or FLETC documents included here [5]. Therefore, concrete statements about 2025 cuts are contradicted or at least not confirmed by the primary ICE/FLETC materials provided [1] [7] [3].
5. Scale-up pressures: surge hiring and its operational implications
FLETC and reporting note a major surge to onboard 10,000 ERO and 1,000 HSI personnel by Dec. 31, 2025, which has required "surge-related training" and rescheduling of other agencies’ programs [7] [8]. That scale-up explains why FLETC and ICE emphasize acquiring additional classroom and tactical venues and why program delivery may be adapting to throughput demands [1] [7]. Sources differ on whether curriculum content (for example, Spanish-language classes) was eliminated as part of compression; ICE materials still list Spanish training as part of ERO courses [1] [2], while at least one secondary source alleges elimination but is not corroborated here [5].
6. What sources agree on — and where reporting is thin
All ICE and FLETC materials agree: HSI and ERO train separately with curricula matching their missions, HSI training is longer and focused on criminal investigations, and training is conducted at FLETC with agency instructors [4] [3] [1]. Disagreement and gaps appear around the exact week count for ERO basic training and claims of recent reductions to ERO course length or elimination of Spanish instruction—those claims are present in secondary reporting (Wikipedia, news summaries) but not substantiated in the ICE and FLETC releases in the provided set [5] [1] [7].
7. Bottom line for readers
Training differences reflect mission: ERO programs prioritize immigration law, removal operations and tactical skills in a shorter, deployment-ready package; HSI training invests more time in investigative tradecraft across many criminal program areas [1] [3]. Beware of conflicting accounts about recent compressions or eliminated modules: current primary ICE/FLETC releases in this dataset do not confirm dramatic truncations, even as surge hiring is straining capacity and prompting scheduling changes [7] [1] [3].