ICE Academy Meltdown: 1 in 3 Recruits Fail Fitness Test, Imperiling Trump’s Deportation Officer Surge

The Atlantic reports that more than a third of ICE recruits at the Georgia academy are failing the physical-fitness test—especially the 1.5-mile run—complicating the administration’s plan to rapidly add thousands of deportation officers. Internal emails ordered field offices to pre-screen fitness after self-certification failures, while DHS says the high fail rate reflects initial classes and that many hires will be fast-tracked from experienced law enforcement. The compressed academy timeline and eased screening have raised concerns about readiness, with some failed recruits reassigned or having offers revoked.