ICE used AI to process applications, sending inexperienced recruits through shorter training: report
Story by Héctor Ríos Morales, Latine Times, January 16, 2026
The outlet explained that the AI tool used by ICE was tasked with identifying applicants with law enforcement experience for placement in the agency's LEO program, which is designed for recruits who are already law enforcement officers and requires four weeks of online training.
As the agency sought to add thousands of new officers as quickly as possible, the tool made significant errors and routed many recruits into field positions without proper training, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the issue who spoke to NBC News.
According to officials familiar with the matter, the majority of new applicants were flagged as law enforcement officers despite lacking the appropriate background. The officials also said the AI tool routed applicants who had the word "officer" on their résumés into the shorter four-week online training program.
The errors were identified last fall, more than a month after ICE and other immigration agencies began ramping up recruitment. ICE did attempt to address the problem by adding manual reviews of new hire résumés, the outlet noted.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were unsure how many officers were improperly trained or how many were sent into the field to carry out immigration enforcement duties.
Recruitment problems within ICE were also highlighted in another case this week, when journalist Laura Jedeed, a vocal Trump critic, said the agency offered her a job despite her political views and opposition to the administration's policies.
ICE used AI to process applications, sending inexperienced recruits through shorter training: report
AI has never seen resume' inflation. Hope they fixed the problem of rapists, murderers, and drug addicts getting past the vetting process. |
