What specific de-escalation modules are included in ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) training?
Executive summary
Public-facing ICE and FLETC materials state that de‑escalation and conflict‑management training are part of the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) curriculum, but investigative reporting and released ICE training documents provide little concrete detail on the specific modules, lesson titles, or practical exercises that compose that instruction [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. Independent reporting that reviewed internal slide decks and lesson plans found scant or no substantive de‑escalation content, leaving the question of which named modules — and what skills they teach — effectively unanswered by the available public record [6].
1. What agency statements say is taught: general claims, not syllabi
Department of Homeland Security and ICE public messaging repeatedly emphasize that new ERO officers attend the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) and receive training in “de‑escalation” and “conflict management” alongside firearms and driving skills, with descriptions framed as core elements of the basic curriculum [1] [7]. News visits to academy facilities and ICE spokespeople have reiterated that the curriculum “includes de‑escalation techniques designed to prevent the use of force in the first place” [2] [3], and FLETC has said it is rescheduling and adapting classes to meet surge hiring while continuing core training [4]. Those public statements establish that de‑escalation is an intended component, but they do not enumerate module names, hours, or lesson plans in the sources provided [1] [2] [4].
2. What investigative reporting and obtained materials reveal: a paucity of module detail
Business Insider and its partners obtained hundreds of pages of ICE training materials and concluded those documents “don’t appear to teach de‑escalation techniques,” asserting the materials emphasize justification for use of force while offering little on verbal tactics, scenario‑based calming practices, or step‑by‑step de‑escalation protocols [6]. ICE disputed that characterization, saying officers are “trained to only use force as a last resort” and receive retraining and policy oversight [6]. The contrast between agency assertions and the content of leaked or reviewed internal materials is the strongest evidence in the public record: claims of de‑escalation instruction exist, but named modules, curricula, or classroom exercises are not visible in the documented materials reported by Business Insider [6].
3. Training length, context and where de‑escalation might be embedded
Published descriptions of the ERO pipeline show variation in how long recruits spend in basic training — references range from roughly six to eight weeks for ERO tracks and as many as 42–50 days or differing counts in official listings — and note that many recruits attend FLETC for common foundational instruction, which is where conflict management and de‑escalation are said to be taught [1] [7] [8] [5]. Those timelines suggest de‑escalation content may be embedded within broader modules (e.g., “conflict management,” “use‑of‑force policy,” or scenario training) rather than presented as standalone, labeled modules in the materials visible to reporters [1] [5]. The sources provided do not include an itemized syllabus or module titles that would definitively answer what specific de‑escalation modules exist.
4. Assessment, competing narratives, and why this matters
The competing narratives — agency assurances that de‑escalation is taught [1] [2] [3] versus investigative findings that training materials lack substantive de‑escalation content [6] — create a factual gap: available public documents do not identify specific, named de‑escalation modules or their curricula, and public statements stop at general assurances [1] [6] [2]. That opacity has policy consequences given public concern about shortened training tracks and high‑profile use‑of‑force incidents, and it invites skepticism about whether verbal tactics, cultural‑communication skills, or scenario‑based calming exercises receive adequate, consistent emphasis in ERO instruction [7] [6]. The sources provided do not allow confirmation of module titles, lesson lengths, or training exercises — further documentary disclosure from ICE or FLETC would be necessary to answer the question with specificity [6] [4] [5].