What physical fitness and firearms standards must recruits meet at ICE basic training?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
ICE basic training layers a formal physical ability standard (a pre-employment Physical Fitness Test/Physical Abilities Assessment) and a separate, recurring firearms qualification regime: recruits must demonstrate minimum push‑up/sit‑up/run or equivalent PFT components and complete practical physical tasks such as climbs and drags, while also qualifying on pistols and receiving M4/shotgun instruction and range qualifications with remedial options if they fail [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. The baseline fitness screen: what recruits are asked to prove before and during the Academy
New-hire deportation officers and many ICE positions must pass a pre‑employment Physical Fitness Test (PFT) or Physical Abilities Assessment (PAA) as a condition of employment and to continue through the Basic Immigration Enforcement/BIETP curriculum; the agency frames this as ensuring trainees can meet “minimally acceptable” physical demands of law enforcement work [3] [4] [5]. Public descriptions of the actual metrics are consistent in showing a battery that measures upper‑ and lower‑body strength, balance, and aerobic endurance: documented elements across official and training‑center materials include push‑ups (often cited as a minimum of 15), sit‑ups, a 1.5‑mile run (reported target times vary by reporting outlet), and a kneel/stand test specifically tied to firearms positions [1] [3] [6].
2. The full Practical Performance Requirements behind the PAA: job‑specific, hands‑on tasks
Beyond simple repetitions and timed runs, the FLETC/ICE Practical Performance Requirements (PPRs) and PAA include realistic physical tasks intended to simulate operational demands: short sprints and 20‑yard bursts, climbing a six‑foot wall, crawling through confined spaces, negotiating stairs, and lifting/dragging a 170‑pound mannequin for a distance—skills assessed in forming the PAA and FLETC certification groups [2] [7]. These tasks are explicitly described as certifying capability for vehicle entry/exit, takedowns and moving incapacitated persons—practical standards that sit alongside the numerical fitness tests [2] [7].
3. Firearms standards: range qualification, multiple platforms, and remedial training
Firearms training is a core, separately tested part of ICE basic training: recruits receive instruction and must qualify on pistols and are typically exposed to M4 and shotgun familiarization and qualification on FLETC ranges; academy‑issued weapons are used and personal firearms are prohibited during training [4] [8] [9]. The kneel/stand component of the PFT explicitly incorporates required shooting positions used to assess firearms competency, and failing firearms or driver training portions triggers remedial training and retesting before graduation [3] [9] [8]. Operationally, successful trainees must be certified to carry a firearm in the field after meeting medical, background and firearms proficiency requirements [10] [3].
4. How these standards play out in practice—and the debate over whether they’re being met
Recent reporting has spotlighted recruits failing portions of the fitness test and raised questions about vetting during a large hiring surge; one account cited pass/fail numbers and specific targets (e.g., 15 push‑ups, 32 sit‑ups, a 1.5‑mile run under roughly 14 minutes), while ICE/DHS responded that standards remain the same and that the agency is shifting when fitness checks occur to improve efficiency [11] [12]. These competing narratives underline two realities visible in the materials: concrete, job‑task PPRs and firearms qualifications exist on paper and in FLETC curriculum documents [2] [7] [4], but media reporting flags operational shortfalls and management choices during rapid hiring that may affect whether recruits arrive fully prepared [11] [12].
5. Limits of available public reporting and the practical takeaway
Official ICE and FLETC documents and training handbooks establish a dual standard—numerical fitness elements (push‑ups, sit‑ups, timed run; kneel/stand) plus performance tasks (wall climb, mannequin drag, short sprints) and formal firearms qualification on pistol, M4 and shotgun with remedial pathways [1] [2] [3] [4]—but public sources vary on the exact numeric cutoffs and sometimes differ by job classification or cohort, and contemporaneous reporting signals variability in how rigorously those standards are enforced during hiring surges [11] [12]. The evidence supports a clear answer: recruits must pass a documented PFT/PAA and qualify on agency firearms at FLETC (or equivalent local training), with specified practical performance tasks and remedial testing if they fail, even as reporting documents debates over implementation and consistency [3] [2] [4] [11].