Ryan Shwank, a former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorney, testified before Congress this week that the agency’s recruitment training system is “flawed at its core” and accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of deliberately misleading the public about its effectiveness. The March 2026 hearing has reignited debates over U.S. immigration enforcement practices amid growing scrutiny of transparency in federal agencies.
Shwank, who served as an ICE legal advisor until late 2025, claimed training protocols for agents “fail to address critical gaps in cultural competency and de-escalation techniques,” potentially exacerbating tensions during operations. He cited internal documents allegedly showing discrepancies between DHS’s public assurances and operational realities. “The department is lying to Americans about what’s happening on the ground,” he stated during the session.
While DHS officials declined to comment directly on Shwank’s allegations, a spokesperson reiterated the agency’s commitment to “professionalism and accountability.” The testimony comes as Congress reviews proposed reforms to ICE’s training curriculum, with bipartisan lawmakers calling for independent oversight.
