The Department of Homeland Security has denied a claim in a news report that alleged training for new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officers was shortened to 47 days because the number is symbolic of President Donald Trump‘s being the 47th president.

The Washington Examiner recently visited the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, where acting ICE Director Todd Lyons shared that training had recently been shortened to six days a week for eight weeks, which is 56 days.

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However, an Atlantic report stated that the figure, when the one day a week of off-time was included, came out to 47 days. The report alleged that the number was chosen because of its relevance to Trump’s second term.

“False. Training to become an Enforcement and Removal Operations officer is 8 weeks long,” a senior DHS official wrote in a statement to the Washington Examiner on Wednesday.

“FLETC is prepared to accommodate 11,000 new hires by the beginning of next year. ICE continuously evaluates and modernizes its training programs and curriculum. We have streamlined training to cut redundancy and incorporate technology advancements,” the official stated. “No subject matter has been cut. Candidates still learn the same elements and meet the same high standards ICE has always required.”

Training was shortened in the wake of Congress passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which gave ICE $29.9 billion to hire staff, transport migrants, and detain families. On the hiring front, the money was intended for 10,000 new staff who specifically enforce immigration law within the United States.

Caleb Vitello, the former acting director of ICE who was moved by the Trump administration earlier this year to oversee ICE deportation officer training at FLETC, told reporters at FLETC on Aug. 21 that training was streamlined to address the increase in recruits.

Before the new officers arrive on campus, located inside the small city of Brunswick, they will complete two weeks of online courses.

Basic training for all incoming ICE recruits is eight weeks long. It used to include an additional five weeks of Spanish language classes, but that was recently rescinded and replaced with a translation service for officers in the field.

“Language classes, which previously covered only a specific dialect of Spanish, have been replaced with robust translation and interpretation services that apply to multiple languages,” the senior DHS official said.

Depending on the number of arrivals, the site can expand its training to two to three shifts per day and have instructors available seven days a week, Vitello said.

Upon completion, officers will be matched with a certified trainer for whichever location they are assigned to and continue training in a real-life environment.

Lyons and Vitello did not provide an estimate on how long it would take for all 10,000 new recruits to be hired and trained at FLETC. The agency has received 121,000 applications since mid-July, Lyons said on Thursday.

ICE incentivized the public to apply with offers of hiring bonuses as large as $50,000 and $60,000 in student loan repayment, and also took steps such as removing the age limit and opening the program up to candidates who are not college graduates. The result has been 12 times as many applicants as are needed, which Lyons said allows them to “be picky” about hiring.

INSIDE THE GEORGIA CAMPUS WHERE ICE IS TRAINING THOUSANDS OF NEW RECRUITS

The goal of training is to ensure new employees grasp immigration law and how to carry out duties from the beginning stages of arrest and detention to final removal. ICE is only responsible for enforcing certain federal laws, not state or local ones, such as traffic offenses.

Officers are trained in law enforcement regulations, defensive techniques, and how to process immigrants in their custody, carry out at-large operations on the street, and operate firearms. Vitello said the goal for ICE officers who interact with the public is not to use force as they speak with people about their immigration status.