Trump freezes most training for non-ICE federal law enforcement

FLETC Charleston uses a former container ship located on the site of the former Charleston Navy Base for boarding tactics training. (FLETC)

By Eric Katz • Aug 30, 2025

The Trump administration is pausing training at the federal government’s primary law enforcement academies for anyone not related to immigration enforcement, saying the change is necessary to meet the president’s “immediate priorities.”

The administration is in the midst of surging 10,000 employees to Immigration and Customs Enforcement after securing funding for the hires in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, creating unprecedented demand at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. Training needs could create bottlenecks as ICE seeks to rapidly onboard the new officers and agents, current and former officials have warned, and the administration is now taking drastic measures to avoid those pitfalls.

“To support the onboarding of 10,000 US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations personnel and 1,000 ICE Homeland Security Investigations personnel by Dec. 31st, 2025, we must focus our resources on surge-related training,” acting FLETC Director Paul Baker and his deputy, Ariana Roddini, said in a message to staff Wednesday. “As a result, training programs for agencies not directly involved in these efforts, originally scheduled between Sept. 9 and Dec. 31, 2025 will be rescheduled to later dates in Fiscal Year 2026.”