ICE Academy Training Reportedly Cut To 47 Days In Nod To Trump

New scrutiny is falling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement training standards following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, by an ICE officer in Minneapolis earlier this week.

According to a 2025 investigation by The Atlantic, training for new ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers was dramatically shortened under the Trump administration, reduced from roughly five months to just 47 days spread across eight weeks. Multiple officials cited in the report said the number was deliberately chosen as a symbolic reference to Trump being the 47th president of the United States.

The report, published in August, said the reduction was achieved in part by eliminating Spanish-language instruction and compressing other components of federal law enforcement training. ICE recruits now attend the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers six days a week over the shortened timeframe.

Internal ICE officials quoted in The Atlantic previously described the administration’s approach as “cowboy” behavior, emphasizing speed and spectacle over caution and de-escalation.

The revelations have resurfaced amid growing outrage over the killing of Good, who was shot inside her vehicle during an ICE operation on Wednesday (January 7). Video footage from the scene appears to show Good slowly pulling her car forward before an agent fired multiple shots into the vehicle. The Department of Homeland Security has claimed the officer acted in self-defense, labeling Good a “domestic terrorist,” a characterization disputed by her family, city officials and civil rights advocates.

When asked about the shortened training timeline, a senior DHS official denied that ICE training had been cut, stating that training for new officers lasts eight weeks. However, that timeline aligns with the duration outlined in The Atlantic report. The official said ICE had “streamlined” its program to eliminate redundancy while maintaining standards.

“No subject matter has been cut,” the official said in a statement. “Candidates still learn the same elements and meet the same high standards ICE has always required.”

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