What physical fitness standards and medical requirements must ICE candidates meet?

1. What the agencies officially say about the four-event fitness test that candidates will face — and the hard numbers that recur in documents

ICE's published HSI Physical Fitness Test describes a four-event battery: timed sit-ups, push-ups, a 220-yard sprint, and a 1.5-mile run, with specific minimums frequently cited as 32 sit-ups in one minute, 22 push-ups in one minute, a 220-yard sprint in 47.73 seconds or less, and a 1.5-mile run in 14 minutes 25 seconds; candidates must meet each event minimum or fail the test ^[1]. The same HSI/ICE guidance repeatedly emphasizes candidates must bring a physician-signed medical release to be allowed to test, illustrating that fitness testing is linked to medical clearance rather than being a standalone checkpoint ^[1]. Versions of ICE pre-employment fitness guidance from other program offices describe different or older protocols (e.g., kneel/stand and step tests), signaling that test formats and cutoffs have varied across units and time ^[2].

2. Medical screening is extensive, bureaucratic, and sometimes slow — here’s what it typically requires

ICE medical standards require a clinician-performed physical, detailed medical history, and a suite of clinical tests — urinalysis, TB screening, ECG, CBC and other labs — along with vision and hearing testing; specific vision standards include uncorrected distant acuity thresholds or corrected 20/20 vision and hearing limits quantified in decibels ^{[3] [4] [5]}. Applicants must supply medical records (two years of treatment records, surgical and orthopedic history for three years, and eye exam results), and the agency explicitly warns that medical clearance can take 12–18 months, with examinations valid for 18 months from the exam date ^{[4] [5]}. ICE also identifies disqualifying conditions and offers a formal waiver process reviewed by a Medical Review Board for applicants who do not initially meet standards, which requires full documentary support and can alter hiring outcomes ^{[4] [3]}.

3. Where public reporting and internal memos diverge — failure rates, watered-down standards, and operational impacts

Recent press reports claim a significant portion of new recruits fail the academy fitness test and that standards were allegedly softened to boost recruitment, leading to administrative assignments for failed recruits and logistical strain in field offices ^{[6] [7]}. These accounts conflict in tone with ICE’s fitness-test descriptions that present concrete numeric standards and retest provisions; the reporting highlights practical consequences — shortages of usable academy candidates, resource gaps, and variable enforcement — rather than disputing the stated numerical cutoffs ^[1]. The discrepancy likely reflects a difference between formal policy language (detailed event minimums and medical forms) and implementation realities (rescreening, waivers, and operational accommodations) documented in news coverage ^{[6] [7]}.

4. Recent policy shifts that change who needs to meet what — removal of age limits and waiver mechanics

A DHS press announcement removing age limits for certain law-enforcement applicants underscores that eligibility expansion does not eliminate medical or fitness evaluation requirements; it may increase the pool of applicants who then must undergo the same medical screening and fitness tests or pursue waivers ^[8]. Medical guidance makes clear that while waivers exist, they are individualized reviews by the Medical Review Board, and conditions like psychotropic medication use, sleep apnea, or recent surgeries require documentation and may still delay clearance ^{[5] [3]}. The policy change therefore amplifies administrative load: more applicants of diverse medical backgrounds may enter a process that already carries lengthy processing times and strict documentation demands ^{[8] [4]}.

5. Practical advice derived from the documented requirements and press findings for applicants and managers

Given the combination of explicit fitness minima, mandatory physician releases, and long medical-clearance timelines, applicants should train to the highest published numeric standards, secure up-to-date medical records and eye/hearing exams, and expect the medical review to demand full documentary evidence if seeking waivers ^{[1] [4] [5]}. Hiring managers must plan for attrition and administrative delays: reporting shows a nontrivial failure rate and logistical strains at academies and field offices when standards and staffing goals collide, indicating the need for fitness pre-screening and streamlined medical intake to reduce later bottlenecks ^{[6] [7]}.

6. Bottom line: what is settled, what is disputed, and where uncertainty remains

Settled facts: ICE/HIS fitness tests use a four-event battery with published numeric minima in agency fitness guidance, and ICE medical standards include comprehensive clinical testing, vision/hearing thresholds, and a waiver process ^{[1] [3]}. Disputed or implementation-linked claims: media accounts of relaxed standards, high failure rates, and operational fallout highlight implementation challenges and alleged standard adjustments that are not fully reconciled with official numeric cutoffs ^{[6] [7]}. Uncertainty remains about which specific fitness formats apply across all ICE hiring streams today, how uniformly waivers are granted, and how recent policy moves will change processing capacity; applicants should treat official fitness numbers and medical documentation lists as authoritative while preparing for potential delays and individualized waiver reviews ^{[1] [4] [8]}.