Ex-ICE Lawyer Critiques ‘Flawed’ Officer Training at Congressional Forum

WASHINGTON – In a recent forum organized by congressional Democrats, a former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lawyer delivered a stark warning about the agency’s training regimen for new recruits. Ryan Schwank, who once played a pivotal role in instructing new deportation officers, described the training program as “deficient, defective, and broken.”

The forum’s timing couldn’t be more critical, as ICE officers are under the microscope for their enforcement of former President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies. Critics, including advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers, have raised alarms over instances of excessive force, alleged assaults on bystanders filming arrests, and violations of constitutional rights.

As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accelerates the recruitment of deportation officers, concerns are mounting that the push for more personnel may lead to insufficient vetting and inadequate training. Despite these worries, the department insists that all new officers receive thorough instruction on firearms, use-of-force protocols, and the safe execution of arrests.

Schwank’s testimony was part of a hearing spearheaded by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Representative Robert Garcia of California. Notably, Schwank stepped down from his role at the agency on February 13, according to Blumenthal’s office.

In his testimony, Schwank emphasized his sense of obligation to speak out about the training issues, stating, “I am here because I am duty-bound to report that the legally required training program at the ICE academy is deficient, defective, and broken.”

He also accused the department of dismantling the training program for new deportation officers and lying about what they were doing.

“DHS told the public the new cadets receive all the training they need to perform their duties, that no critical material or standards have been cut,” he said. “This is a lie. ICE made the program shorter, and they removed so many essential parts that what remains is a dangerous husk.”

Monday’s was the third public forum held by the two Democrats to examine how ICE is training thousands of new officers and the conduct of those officers once they’re on the streets. Both have been vocal critics of how ICE officers conduct themselves. At the beginning of the hearing, Blumenthal thanked the witnesses, including Schwank, for their “courage and strength.”

Blumenthal’s office said Schwank was one of two anonymous whistleblowers who came forward earlier to disclose a new ICE policy authorizing deportation officers to forcibly enter an immigrant’s home to remove them from the country even if they didn’t have a warrant signed by a judge.

His office also released dozens of pages of documents related to the training of new deportation officers, noting the disclosure came from whistleblowers.

Blumenthal’s office said the documents demonstrated “drastic cuts” to how new deportation officers are trained and tested. That includes changes to the number of exams new officers have to pass, the classes they have to take and the hours they train.

“The training has been truncated and reduced, both in numbers of courses and substantive policy,” the senator said at the start of the hearing.

Homeland Security strongly denied that it has removed any training requirements or lessened requirements for officers. ICE recruits receive 56 days of training and 28 days on average of on-the-job training, the department said Monday in response to an inquiry about the allegations made during the forum.

“Despite false claims from the media and sanctuary politicians, no training hours have been cut. Our officers receive extensive firearm training, are taught de-escalation tactics, and receive Fourth and Fifth Amendment comprehensive instruction,” department spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in an e-mailed statement.

She also said ICE recruits are monitored on the job after graduating from the academy.

The department has “streamlined training to cut redundancy and incorporate technology advancements, without sacrificing basic subject matter content,” Bis said.

The documents show that ICE is eliminating over a dozen “practical exams” that used to be necessary for deportation officers to pass, according to an analysis by Democratic Senate staff. ICE also appears to have cut a number of classes from the training, including “Use of Force Simulation Training.”

Deportation officers appear to be getting fewer hours of training overall, according to the documents.