By Steve Neavling
ICE began sending new recruits to its Georgia training academy before completing background checks, drug tests, or fingerprinting, according to a current and two former Homeland Security officials who spoke with NBC News.
The unusual move comes as the agency scrambles to meet President Donald Trump’s goal of expanding ICE’s ranks to 10,000 agents by year’s end. Officials said the accelerated process has led to serious lapses, including recruits later found to have failed drug tests, held criminal records, or lacked the physical or academic qualifications to serve.
One recruit was discovered to have prior charges for strong-arm robbery and domestic battery, according to a current DHS official. Others admitted during the six-week training course in Brunswick, Georgia, that they never completed fingerprinting or background checks.
“There is absolutely concern that some people are slipping through the cracks,” the official said. “What about the ones who don’t admit it?”
Internal ICE data reviewed by NBC News show that more than 200 trainees have been dismissed during the hiring surge for failing to meet requirements, most for academic or fitness reasons. Fewer than 10 were removed for criminal or drug-related issues that should have been caught earlier.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin disputed the figures, saying most new recruits are “experienced law enforcement officers who have already successfully completed a law enforcement academy.” She added that prior-service hires “follow streamlined validation but remain subject to medical, fitness, and background requirements.”
