DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis denied ICE was struggling to process background checks and said the email was meant to inform supervisors of resources available to them. “To speed, shortcut, or limit background checks or training puts the public and other law enforcement officers at risk,” she said. “They weren’t completing the background checks before they would get to the academy,” the former official said. NBC News reported in October 2025 that ICE had dismissed more than 200 recruits since the hiring surge began, citing internal data. In another office, a third of hires are waiting for their stalled background checks to be completed, including some who have graduated from training, the official said.

Source: The Telegraph February 26, 2026 13:13 UTC