Former ICE Lawyer Blows Whistle on Unconstitutional Training: ‘They’re Lying to Congress’
Ryan Schwank resigned from ICE and testified before Congress that the agency ordered him to teach recruits to violate the Fourth Amendment by entering homes without judicial warrants.
A former Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyer is speaking out — and what he’s revealing should concern every American regardless of political affiliation.
Ryan Schwank worked as an ICE attorney and legal instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia until he resigned in February 2026. Now he’s testifying before Congress with a warning that cuts to the core of constitutional rights.
The Bombshell Testimony
“On my first day, I received secretive orders to teach new cadets to violate the Constitution by entering homes without a judicial warrant,” Schwank told lawmakers during a congressional forum hosted by Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative Robert Garcia.
Let that sink in. A federal agency allegedly instructed its own legal team to train officers in unconstitutional practices — and then ordered them to keep it quiet.
“Never in my career had I ever received such a blatantly unlawful order — nor one conveyed in such a troubling manner,” Schwank stated.
Training Cut Nearly in Half
Internal documents obtained by CBS News reveal the scope of the problem extends far beyond Fourth Amendment violations. According to these records, ICE officer training dropped from 72 days to just 42 days over a 7-month period. Multiple courses dealing with use of force appear to have been eliminated entirely.
Schwank called the training program “deficient, defective and broken.”
“For the last five months, I watched ICE dismantle the training program, cutting 240 hours of vital classes from a 584 hour program,” he testified. “Classes that teach the Constitution, our legal system, firearms training, the use of force, lawful arrests, proper detention and the limits of officers’ authority.”
Why This Matters Right Now
The Department of Homeland Security received $170 billion under the Big Beautiful Bill, which mandated a massive hiring surge — 10,000 new ICE agents on top of the existing 20,000 workforce. To meet these aggressive deportation quotas, training standards appear to have been gutted.
According to Schwank’s testimony, graduates are being deployed with minimal supervision almost immediately after receiving their badges and weapons.
“DHS assures the public these cadets can get on the job training to compensate for anything missing at the academy. This is a lie,” Schwank said. “Many graduates go to their home office just long enough to get their gun, their badge and their body armor before deploying to places like Minneapolis and other ICE operations with minimal supervision.”
Constitutional Rights at Stake
The Fourth Amendment protects Americans from unreasonable searches and seizures. For centuries, courts have held that a judicial warrant — signed by a judge, not an agency administrator — is required before law enforcement can forcibly enter a home.
According to Schwank and legal experts representing him at Whistleblower Aid, no court has ever found that any law enforcement agency has the authority to enter homes without a judicial warrant under the circumstances ICE has allegedly authorized.
Six former DHS General Counsels signed an op-ed in The New York Times calling for the government to end forcible entries without judicial warrants following the whistleblower disclosures.
The Agency’s Response
DHS has pushed back on these claims. Spokeswoman Lauren Bis stated: “Despite false claims from the media and sanctuary politicians, no training hours have been cut. Our officers receive extensive firearm training, are taught de-escalation tactics, and receive Fourth and Fifth Amendment comprehensive instruction.”
However, internal documents released by Senator Blumenthal’s office appear to contradict these assertions, showing significant reductions in training hours, exams, and course requirements.
The Bottom Line
Whether you support aggressive immigration enforcement or oppose it, the allegations raised by Ryan Schwank transcend partisan politics. This is about constitutional rights that protect all Americans — citizens and non-citizens alike.
Poorly trained federal agents with inadequate constitutional instruction don’t just threaten immigrants. They threaten anyone who might find ICE at their door.
As Schwank warned Congress: “Without reform, ICE will graduate thousands of new officers who do not know their constitutional duty, do not know the limits of their authority, and do not have the training to recognize an unlawful order.”
“That should scare everyone.”
This story is developing. Follow TEG Report for updates.