Internal ICE Email Reveals Vetting Delays After Some Recruits Were Flagged Over Suspected MS-13 Links

An internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) email obtained by Reuters shows the agency is facing delays in completing background checks amid a rapid hiring surge, with some recruits flagged for suspected gang ties and active warrants after being brought on board.

The email, sent to supervisors in ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division, cited the "high volume of new hires" and stalled vetting as creating uncertainty when allegations surface about conduct prior to employment. It instructed field offices to refer such cases to the Internal Integrity Unit (IIU).

"If a Field Office receives derogatory information about a newly hired employee's conduct prior to ERO employment... please refer the matter to IIU," the email said, according to Reuters.

According to a former U.S. official, two recruits last year were flagged as suspected members of MS-13 based on tattoos while attending the training academy in Georgia. At least five other trainees were dismissed after ICE learned they had active arrest warrants.

"They weren't completing the background checks before they would get to the academy," the former official said. Another official said some hires have graduated training while still awaiting completed background reviews.

The hiring push follows the administration's effort to expand deportations. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in January it had hired 12,000 officers, though federal workforce data showed a smaller net increase. DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis said the email did not signal vetting problems. "All new hires go through extensive background checks and continuous vetting," she said.

Concerns have also been raised about training reductions. Former ICE instructor Ryan Schwank told congressional Democrats that the agency cut roughly 240 hours from a 580-hour training program and eliminated certain exams. "Law enforcement is a deadly serious business. It is not a place for shortcuts," he said. DHS disputed those claims, saying no training hours were cut.

Former acting ICE Director John Sandweg warned back in November that rushed recruitment and limited vetting could have serious consequences. "When you combine this with what appears to be really rushed and incredibly limited vetting and background checks... the bigger concern here is you're getting people who have an agenda," he said.