Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recruits currently get only a few weeks of formal academy training, significantly less than many other federal and local law‑enforcement agencies.

Quick Scoop: How much training does ICE get?

1. Basic training length

  • Recent reports say ICE academy training has been cut from roughly four–five months (about 16–20 weeks) down to around 6–8 weeks for many new officers.
  • Some investigations describe the current in‑person academy as about 42–56 days (roughly six to eight weeks) of intensive training at a federal law‑enforcement center.
  • Officials frame this as “streamlined” training designed to remove redundancy and rely more on technology, not as a reduction in required standards.

2. Different tracks for different recruits

  • ICE splits applicants into two main groups: those with previous law‑enforcement experience and those without.
  • Recruits with a law‑enforcement background may go through a shorter, largely online course of around four weeks before additional field instruction.
  • Recruits with no prior experience usually complete the full in‑person academy of about eight weeks.

3. What they actually learn

Within that short window, ICE academy courses typically cover:

  • Arrest and control techniques
  • Firearms safety and use‑of‑force rules
  • Defensive tactics and physical fitness standards
  • Conflict management and basic de‑escalation concepts
  • Emergency vehicle operation and basic legal/procedural training

One insider account notes that dedicated classroom time specifically labeled “de‑escalation” can be as little as a few hours, even though officials say de‑escalation ideas are woven throughout the course.

4. On‑the‑job and follow‑up training

  • DHS and ICE say that academy training is only the foundation and that new officers are expected to receive ongoing field training, mentoring, and periodic re‑certifications on use of force and similar topics.
  • Field offices reportedly add their own local instruction before officers work independently in the field, though the exact amount of that training is not always publicly specified.

5. How this compares to others

Here’s roughly how ICE training stacks up against some other forces mentioned in recent coverage:

Organization| Approx. basic training length| Notes
---|---|---
ICE (current recruits)| About 6–8 weeks| Mix of academy, some online, plus on‑the‑job training.1236
ICE (earlier years)| About 16–20 weeks| Longer academy before recent cuts.256
Minneapolis Police| About 14–16 weeks academy| Plus field training.2
St. Paul Police| About 5 months academy| Plus several months of field training.2
U.S. National Guard| About 10 weeks basic training| Separate from law‑enforcement roles.3
U.S. Secret Service| Around 18 weeks training| Before agents are fully operational.3

6. Why this is controversial right now

  • The shortened training has become a big topic in early 2026 because ICE is rapidly expanding, adding thousands of new officers under aggressive deportation and city‑raid policies.
  • A fatal shooting in Minneapolis by an ICE officer triggered questions about whether such a brief training period is enough for officers who carry firearms and make high‑stakes decisions in tense situations.
  • Critics argue that rushing people through a six‑to‑eight‑week course for such a powerful role is risky, while DHS insists that standards remain high and are backed by ongoing supervision and training.

Bottom line: If you’re asking “how much training does ICE get,” the current answer is usually around six to eight weeks of academy‑style instruction, plus additional online and on‑the‑job training, which is substantially less than what many police departments and other federal agencies require.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.