After deadly shootings, police experts question how well ICE officers are vetted

The recent fatal shootings by ICE officers in Texas and Maine come at a time when the federal agency has hired a huge number of officers quickly. Some law enforcement experts worry that this kind of a hiring spree can lead police agencies to cut corners in vetting new hires.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3000x1872+0+0/resize/3000x1872!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3d%2Ffa%2F2d6ff6fe45358779425193c3d957%2Fgettyimages-2285311069.jpg' alt='An FBI official places an evidence card in Biddeford where a man was killed in a shooting involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on July 13, 2026.'/><p>The recent fatal shootings by ICE officers in Texas and Maine come at a time when the federal agency has hired a huge number of officers quickly. Some law enforcement experts worry that this kind of a hiring spree can lead police agencies to cut corners in vetting new hires.</p><p>(Image credit: Gregory Rec)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5903173' />