ICE agent training lasts just 47 days, and it proves Trump is only obsessed with himself

Concerns over ICE agents’ shortened training schedule under the Trump administration have resurfaced with recent social media updates from Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Elissa Slotkin. Trump now faces accusations that he chose 47 because he’s the 47th president.

Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner was among the first to sound the alarm about drastically reduced training for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during a January appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box.

Warner: “Tell me that’s rational”

Speaking to cohost Joe Kernen, Warner argued that the massive shortening of ICE’s training regimen under Donald Trump reflects misplaced priorities.

Warner said, “Training used to take 5–6 MONTHS. Now it’s 47 DAYS. Why 47? Because Trump is the 47th president. Tell me that’s rational.”

Warren: Congress must stop funding “this rogue agency”

Meanwhile, Slotkin, from Michigan, told the press, “We understand that the number 47 was picked because President Trump is the 47th President.”

And most recently, Warren shared on social media,

Did you know ICE agents get only 47 days of training before they’re handed a gun and sent out into American streets? Why 47? In honor of Trump being the 47th President, of course. Congress must stop funding ICE and rein in this rogue agency.”

According to PolitiFact, reporting by The Atlantic found that ICE’s academy training for deportation officers was cut from roughly five months to 47 days by trimming curriculum in Spanish-language instruction.

At the same time, Warner and other lawmakers have criticized broader ICE policies, including aggressive enforcement operations in cities across the U.S. Additionally, they’ve disagreed with the agency’s expanding workforce under Trump’s immigration agenda. Warner’s messaging on Squawk Box tied the training cut to these broader policy shifts. He suggested the administration is placing optics and symbolism above prudent law enforcement preparation. 

The GOP response

Trump administration officials have pushed back on the exact reasoning and even the precise count of training days. DHS says ICE’s academy lasts eight weeks and totals 48 training days with classes held six days per week.

Republicans and DHS officials say ICE training standards meet operational needs. They argue that continued hiring and deployment are essential to enforcing immigration laws and strengthening border security. They describe both as core priorities for the administration.

Multiple news outlets report that officials significantly reduced the overall training period for new ICE officers compared with prior standards, underscoring Warner’s broader argument that the program has been substantially scaled back. That’s true, even if his suggestion that it aligns with Trump being the 47th president remains speculative.