Thompson, Correa, Thanedar Request GAO Investigation into ICE Hiring Practices
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Border Security & Enforcement, and Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations & Accountability, announced they requested an investigation from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) unprecedented current hiring surge after it received $30 billion in Trump’s Big Ugly Bill.
“This rapid expansion—the most significant staffing increase in the agency’s history—raises important questions about how ICE has changed its hiring standards and training protocols to meet its staffing aims,” the Ranking Members wrote. “According to news reports, the agency has reportedly rushed new recruits into its training program before being properly vetted, leading some trainees to drop out due to failing background checks, academic requirements, or fitness standards. These reports have indicated that many of the issues surfaced during training only after the recruits admitted during training that they had not been fingerprinted or drug tested, raising concerns that individuals who did not disclose such lapses may already be on the job.”
“[S]ince ICE’s hiring surge began, we are concerned with reports that the agency has changed eligibility criteria and training requirements, thus creating the potential for an insufficiently trained and vetted force consisting of thousands of new officers and agents,” the Ranking Members added. “We have significant concerns that these changes are affecting the integrity, professionalism, and readiness of the ICE law enforcement workforce.”
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