ICE Academy

The ICE Academy Complex, which was opened in late 2011, was created specifically for the training and preparation of ICE’s special agents and officers who enforce the country’s immigration and customs laws.

## Homeland Security Investigations

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Academy, located on the grounds on the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia, provides basic and advanced training to HSI special agents, task force officers and other law enforcement personnel. To become a HSI special agent, special agent-trainees must pass both FLETC’s Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) and the Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Training (HSI SAT).

Both CITP and HSI SAT are accredited law enforcement training programs by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation (FLETA) Board.

### Criminal Investigator Training Program

The Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) is a 56-day program that provides HSI special agent trainees, as well as criminal investigators from other federal agencies, with an understanding of basic criminal investigative techniques. Seasoned HSI special agents, along with instructors from FLETC and numerous other federal agencies, bring their expertise and knowledge to instruct trainees on topics such as criminal law, enforcement operations, courtroom testimony and other interdisciplinary approaches to becoming an effective criminal investigator in today’s fast-paced and changing world. Lectures, laboratories, practical exercises and written exams are used to ensure that each trainee acquires the knowledge, skills and abilities required of new criminal investigators. During the program, trainees participate as members of a small task force and complete a continuing case investigation.

### HSI Special Agent Training

After successfully completing CITP, special agent-trainees commence HSI Special Agent Training (HSI SAT), a 71-day program managed by the HSI Academy and taught by experienced HSI special agents who serve as subject matter experts in various investigative programmatic areas. Special agents certified as firearms and defensive tactics instructors, as well as HSI Special Response Team members, instruct special-agent trainees in firearms, defensive tactics, subject control and tactical building entries. Additional legal and integrity training is provided by the ICE Office of the Chief Counsel attorneys and Office of Professional Responsibility special agents.

During HSI SAT, special agent-trainees receive comprehensive instruction, practice and evaluation in customs and immigration law, border search authority, interviewing, cyber-crimes, child exploitation, surveillance, human smuggling and trafficking investigations, drug smuggling, document and benefit fraud, counter-proliferation investigations, transnational gang investigations, national security investigations, affidavit preparation, investigative planning and case management.

During HSI SAT, trainees are evaluated through a series of practical exercises that simulate realistic investigative and tactical scenarios that are geared to ensure that newly-minted special agents can act safely and proficiently in the field. Additionally, special agent-trainees are required to participate in a strenuous physical fitness training regime and pass the required physical fitness test (PFT) three times during CITP and HSI SAT.

## Enforcement and Removal Operations

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Officers are among the most highly trained federal law enforcement officers in the United States. To become an Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officer, trainees must pass the Basic Immigration Enforcement Training Program (BIETP) and the Spanish Language Training Program (SLTP), located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers in Glynco, Georgia.

### Basic Immigration Enforcement Training Program

The Basic Immigration Enforcement Training Program (BIETP) is a 16 week program taught by seasoned deportation officers and supervisory detention and deportation officers, as well as ICE Office of the Principal Legal Advisor attorneys. They are considered experts in the field. They teach law enforcement regulations, core components of immigration law and policy, alien processing, at-large operations, officer and detainee safety, proficiency with firearms and defensive techniques.

A particular focus of the program is to ensure that prospective deportation officers understand the procedures involved in removal proceedings, from initial arrest to the execution of final order of removal. Emphasis is also placed on the in-processing aspect of the Criminal Alien Program and tactics and procedures for field operations.

### Spanish Language Training Program

Unless otherwise waived through passing the Spanish Language Proficiency Test, officer trainees will be required to successfully complete both the 25-day Spanish Language Training Program (SLTP) order to continue in their career as an Officer of the ICE Office of Detention and Removal Operations.

In the SLTP, trainees are required to maintain at least a 70% cumulative average score during the training. Trainees are terminated from training when it is no longer possible to achieve the required cumulative average score.