Podcast Summary

The Indicator from Planet Money

Episode: How well are ICE's 12,000 new officers being trained?
Date: February 18, 2026
Hosts: Waylon Wong & Darian Woods

Episode Overview

This episode examines the rapid expansion of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) due to a hiring surge of 12,000 new agents and officers—doubling the agency’s size. The show explores whether ICE’s training methods are keeping up with this expansion, the quality and length of training, and how both formal training and organizational culture shape officer behavior. Experts—including a former ICE trainer, an economist studying police training, and a law professor—offer insight into the likely outcomes for both new agents and the broader U.S. immigration system.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ICE’s Rapid Expansion and Public Perception

• The Department of Homeland Security’s unprecedented recruitment drive brought 12,000 new agents to ICE, making it “one of the fastest growing and most scrutinized workplaces in the country right now.”
  — Darian Woods [00:45]
• Practices under scrutiny: Many affected by ICE’s crackdown “have no criminal conviction. Many have legal status and even US citizens have been taken into custody.”
  — Darian Woods [00:45]
• Growing public concern, with polls showing more Americans believe “the immigration crackdown has gone too far.” Calls range from dismantling ICE to advocating for better training and culture shifts.
  — Waylon Wong [01:07]

2. Where and How ICE Officers Are Trained

• The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, especially the main campus in Brunswick, Georgia, received $750 million for expanded training.
  — Waylon Wong [02:44]
• Description of training facility: It operates like a mini city, with mock storefronts, federal buildings, and various housing types—used for realistic scenario training. — Mark Brown [03:07]:

  “It has storefronts, shops, federal buildings... we would use that city to... show them, okay, this is how you're going to line up on the street.”

3. Training Protocols: Ideal vs. Reality

• Trainers like Mark Brown stress de-escalation and respecting protest rights:
  — Mark Brown [03:48]:

  “If they're protesting on the sideline... they have the right to protest your presence... Our biggest thing is keeping everybody safe.”

• Brown expresses concern that these protocols are not visible in recent agent behavior shown in viral videos. — [04:13]

4. Reduction in Training Length and Content

• Officially, DHS claims “the same number of training hours,” but evidence suggests training for new ICE agents is now 14 weeks—shorter than before and less than the national average for law enforcement.
  — Waylon Wong [04:50]; Mark Brown [04:50]
• Spanish language instruction, previously five weeks, was replaced with unspecified translation services.
  — Waylon Wong [05:26]

5. Importance of Field Training and Officer Pairing

• Economist Matthew Ross’s research indicates new officers closely model behavior of their field training officer (FTO).
  — Matthew Ross [05:55]:

  “If a recruit was assigned to a more aggressive field training officer, that recruit was significantly more likely to use force.”

• Matthew Ross [06:09]:

  “From as far as we can tell, if you happen to get paired up with a... training officer that used force frequently, you were just more likely to use force for the entirety of that three year period.”

• This effect can persist through an officer’s entire career.

6. Culture and Supervision Matter More Than Training

• Law professor and ex-officer Steph Stoughton believes problematic behavior often stems from internal culture and leadership, not a lack of training:
  — Steph Stoughton [06:50]:

  “I would be shocked if it's actually a training failure... some of the agents... are long standing veterans.”

• Supervisors’ instructions override formal training: — Steph Stoughton [07:27]:

  “Doesn't matter how you're trained. If your supervisor says you run up to those cars and if they don't get out immediately, you break the windows... that's what you're going to do.”

7. Accountability and Consequences

• Experts predict administration will face “multiple lawsuits” over ICE tactics but doubt financial/legal consequences will drive significant change: — Mark Brown [08:00]; Steph Stoughton [08:17]:

  “The financial incentives alone probably aren't going to do anything, especially not with an agency that just views that as the cost of doing business.”

8. Official Denials and Uncertainty

• DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin insists training hours remain unchanged, despite evidence to the contrary and concerns from outside experts.
  — Waylon Wong [08:53]
• McLaughlin is leaving her post, having been the administration’s main defender of the mass deportation policy.

Notable Quotes

• On crowd control and protest rights:

  “If they're protesting on the sideline, on the sidewalk, they have the right to protest your presence. So that's not something for you to engage in... Our biggest thing is keeping everybody safe.”
  — Mark Brown [03:48]

• On field training's influence:

  “If a recruit was assigned to a more aggressive field training officer, that recruit was significantly more likely to use force.”
  — Matthew Ross [05:55]

• On cultural influence vs. training:

  “Doesn't matter how you're trained. If your supervisor says you run up to those cars and if they don't get out immediately, you break the windows... that's what you're going to do.”
  — Steph Stoughton [07:27]

• On performative accountability:

  “An approach to accountability that I think communicates to agents that it's just performative... The financial incentives alone probably aren't going to do anything.”
  — Steph Stoughton [08:17]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• ICE Expansion & Recruitment: [00:11] – [01:34]
• Training Facilities and Protocols: [02:44] – [04:25]
• Training Duration and Content: [04:25] – [05:26]
• Field Training and Officer Influence: [05:55] – [06:50]
• Culture and Supervision in Law Enforcement: [06:50] – [07:57]
• Legal/Institutional Accountability: [08:00] – [08:53]

Takeaways

• ICE’s massive growth has not been matched by transparent, consistent training improvements; in fact, the training appears shorter and less robust in key areas such as language skills.
• Expert consensus suggests that the agency’s internal culture and leadership decisions have a greater effect on agent behavior than curriculum alone.
• There is substantial skepticism that legal or financial risks will motivate reforms in ICE’s training or operating procedures—raising concerns about ongoing controversies as mass immigration enforcement continues.

Next episode preview:
The following episode will examine ICE’s conversion of warehouses into detention centers as a further step in the ongoing immigration crackdown.