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What are the physical fitness requirements for ICE agent training in 2025?
Executive summary
ICE in 2025 requires recruits to meet medical, drug‑screening and physical‑fitness standards and to complete a Physical Ability Assessment or Pre‑Employment Physical Fitness Test as a condition of employment [1] [2]. Reporting shows specific academy standards in current coverage — commonly cited benchmarks are 15 push‑ups, 32 sit‑ups and a 1.5‑mile run under 14 minutes — and news outlets say more than a third of recent recruits failed those standards at the Georgia academy [1] [3]. Available sources do not provide an exhaustive, agency‑published table of 2025 fitness standards for every ICE role; job listings and DHS statements indicate standards can vary by position and veterans/prior‑service applicants may receive partial reciprocity [4] [2] [1].
1. What ICE and DHS say about fitness requirements — agency statements and job postings
ICE and DHS materials emphasize that law‑enforcement hires must be in “excellent physical condition” and that recruits undergo medical screening, drug screening and a physical fitness test as part of employment eligibility; ICE’s public hiring pages direct applicants to read job listings on USAJOBS for position‑specific requirements [4] [5] [2]. DHS spokespeople told Newsweek that all recruits must meet ICE’s Physical Ability Assessment standards and that fitness checks may be moved earlier in the hiring sequence, while ICE job announcements explicitly note a mandatory pre‑employment PFT for candidates who must attend certain training programs [1] [2].
2. Reported, specific test elements in contemporary reporting
Multiple news reports cite the academy’s basic fitness requirements as a concrete set of tasks: at least 15 push‑ups, 32 sit‑ups and a 1.5‑mile run in under 14 minutes. Newsweek noted DHS told it those standards are conditions of employment and that more than a third of recent recruits failed the physical test at the Georgia academy [1]. The Atlantic likewise highlighted the 1.5‑mile run as the biggest single obstacle for new trainees, saying it has “toppled more trainees than any other requirement” [3].
3. Variation by applicant type and where standards are applied
Coverage and agency language show variation: prior‑service law‑enforcement hires can follow “streamlined validation” but remain subject to medical and fitness screens; veterans with recent military fitness tests may receive reciprocity in some circumstances [1] [6] [2]. Some field offices are reportedly conducting fitness screening earlier to avoid sending unprepared candidates to academy phases, meaning a candidate’s fitness test might be administered locally before FLETC attendance [1].
4. Training length, shifting procedures and context behind the focus on fitness
Reports place this debate inside broader changes: training timelines and intake surges under recent policy shifts have compressed academy schedules and expanded hiring targets, increasing scrutiny of whether recruits meet readiness standards. The Atlantic and other outlets connected fitness failures to a larger effort to rapidly grow ICE staffing and shorten some training windows — context that DHS disputes by saying standards have not been lowered and that checks are being reallocated earlier [3] [1].
5. What job announcements and recruiting pages advise candidates to do
ICE’s recruitment pages and USAJOBS job postings instruct applicants to read individual listings for exact requirements and warn that trainees will face regular fitness assessments during training; job postings also make clear a mandatory PFT is used to screen candidates for certain training programs [4] [2] [7]. Practical takeaway: applicants should consult the specific USAJOBS vacancy for the job they want and expect a pre‑employment fitness screen plus ongoing assessments during BIETP or other basic training [2] [7].
6. Limitations of available reporting and unanswered questions
Reporting cites a commonly repeated set of benchmarks (push‑ups, sit‑ups, run) and notes failure rates, but no single source in the provided set publishes an official, fully detailed 2025 ICE fitness‑standards table covering all job classes or age/sex‑adjusted norms; agency pages point applicants to job notices rather than listing universal numerical standards [4] [2] [1]. Available sources do not mention whether age‑ or sex‑based scoring tables are used for every ICE fitness assessment or the full set of alternative tests and waivers that may apply.
Bottom line: contemporary coverage and ICE/DHS statements make clear that physical fitness testing is required in 2025, that the academy uses measurable benchmarks (frequently cited as 15 push‑ups, 32 sit‑ups and a 1.5‑mile run under 14 minutes), and that procedural changes—screening earlier, exemptions/reciprocity for prior‑service applicants—are in play. For role‑specific numeric standards and any age/sex adjustments, consult the exact ICE USAJOBS announcement for the vacancy you plan to apply for [1] [3] [2] [4].