WASHINGTON (TNND) — New polling suggests Americans are sharply divided over Immigration and Customs Enforcement as the agency faces heightened scrutiny following two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens during confrontational protests in Minnesota.
According to a new survey conducted by NPR, PBS, and Marist, a majority of Americans disapprove of the job ICE is doing, but opinions break dramatically along partisan lines.
The poll found that 60 percent of Americans disapprove of ICE’s performance, while 33 percent approve. Among Democrats, disapproval is overwhelming at 91 percent, with 66 percent of independents also saying they disapprove. Republicans, however, largely hold the opposite view: 73 percent approve of how ICE is doing its job, according to the NPR/PBS/Marist poll.
The share of Americans who believe ICE has gone “too far” in enforcing immigration laws has risen by 11 percentage points since last summer, a shift driven primarily by Democrats and independents, per the same polling data.
Recruitment efforts
The polling comes as ICE rapidly expands its workforce under a major recruitment push launched by the Trump administration.
In a January announcement, the Department of Homeland Security said ICE has experienced a 120 percent increase in manpower following its recruitment campaign. The agency reported receiving roughly 220,000 applications, allowing it to grow from about 10,000 agents to approximately 22,000 agents nationwide, according to DHS.
As part of the recruitment effort, newly hired ICE agents were offered incentives including signing bonuses of up to $50,000, up to $60,000 in student loan repayment assistance, and up to 25 percent in premium pay.
That rapid expansion has raised new questions about how ICE agents are trained, particularly in light of recent high-profile incidents involving the agency.
ICE training process
Most ICE recruits, including deportation officers and special agents, begin their careers at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) in Georgia. Historically, ICE training programs such as the Enforcement and Removal Operations Basic Course lasted several months and covered legal standards, tactical instruction, and enforcement procedures before agents were deployed into the field.
However, recent reporting indicates that parts of the training pipeline were shortened.
According to fact-checking by the Poynter Institute, based on reporting from multiple outlets, the training period for some new ICE agents was reduced from a timeline comparable to roughly five months to about eight weeks of classroom and hands-on instruction, or approximately 48 training days if conducted six days per week. The exact length varies depending on how training days are counted and which roles are examined, but multiple reports confirm the overall compression of the timeline.
Additional reporting by The Atlantic, analyzed by Poynter, indicates that elements such as language instruction, cultural training, and longer immersive coursework were once more prominent in ICE training programs but have since been reduced or replaced with shorter instruction blocks and increased reliance on technology.
Prerequisites to work for ICE
Before even entering training, ICE applicants are required to clear several prerequisites. According to DHS, candidates must pass a background check, drug screening, medical exam, and physical fitness evaluation. Many ICE law-enforcement positions also require at least a bachelor’s degree or a combination of education and relevant work experience. DHS says these standards are intended to screen for reliability and judgment in high-stress enforcement roles.
National Headline
