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Opinion ICE whistleblower sounds alarm on reduced training: dangerous!   Opinions - Lindsey's Lens | 7 minutes ago

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ICE whistleblower sounds alarm on reduced training: dangerous!  

We ask a lot of federal law enforcement. We give them badges, guns and the authority to detain, arrest and, in some cases, use deadly force. The very least we owe the public, and the officers themselves, is rigorous constitutional training.  

Right now, that’s exactly what’s being called into question inside ICE.  

Ryan Schwank, a former ICE lawyer turned instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers in Georgia, resigned and is now speaking out as a whistleblower. He says what’s happening behind the scenes is not just bureaucratic streamlining, it’s flat out dangerous.  

“On my first day, I received secretive orders to teach new cadets to violate the Constitution by entering homes without a judicial warrant. For the last five months, I watched ICE dismantle the training program, cutting 240 hours of vital classes from a 584-hour program.”  

That’s not a small trim. Internal documents released by Senate Democrats show that a July 2025 syllabus required 584 hours over 72 days. A February syllabus shows roughly 336 hours over 42 days. That’s about a 40 percent reduction.  

Schwank says it’s not just about hours. It’s about what’s being removed.  

“Classes that teach the Constitution, our legal system, firearms training, the use of force, lawful arrests, proper detention, and the limits of officers’ authority. For example, they ceased all of the legal instructions regarding use of force.”  

The documents show certain courses no longer listed, including “Use of Force Simulation Training,” immigration law instruction, and exams about “Judgment Pistol Shooting” and an exam called “Determine Removability,” which tests whether agents can properly assess if someone is legally allowed to be in the United States. Recruits now reportedly complete just nine practical exams to graduate, compared to 25 in previous years.  

This is all happening amid a massive hiring surge. After a planned $75 billion infusion over four years, ICE says it has hired more than 12,000 new officers, which is more than doubling its force, with thousands more projected to graduate by the end of September. When you scale that fast, something has to give. The question is whether it should be constitutional guardrails.  

The administration disputes the claims. A DHS spokesperson said, “Our officers receive extensive firearm training, are taught de-escalation tactics, and receive Fourth and Fifth Amendment comprehensive instruction.” Schwank counters that standards have been condensed in ways the public doesn’t fully understand.  

Over the last year, federal immigration operations have already resulted in deadly encounters involving American citizens, including the shootings of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti during enforcement actions in Minneapolis. In both cases, there were conflicting accounts about what happened, questions about the level of threat, and scrutiny over how force was used.

When immigration agents are deployed into major American cities, often in fast-moving, tense environments, the margin for error is razor-thin. These aren’t routine paperwork stops. These are high-stakes encounters where decisions are made in seconds, and the consequences can last forever.  

That’s why training on constitutional limits, use of force, and lawful arrests isn’t optional. It’s foundational.

If internal documents show fewer hours, fewer exams and fewer simulations, while the agency more than doubles its size, that should concern everyone, regardless of where they stand on immigration policy.  

This isn’t about being pro- or anti-immigration enforcement. It’s about whether the people enforcing the law are adequately trained in the law. Speed cannot outrun the Constitution. If we’re going to expand power, we have to expand preparation. Anything less puts everyone, officers and civilians alike, at risk. 

Lindsey Granger is a NewsNation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.   

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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