New ICE training

[pgapro112]

I'm wondering if they are now requiring new Customs agents (aka. Criminal investigators with ICE) to take the Spanish languages courses that immigration agents had to take? Basically, does ICE "SATP" include Spanish classes? Thanks a lot

[Swat1]

No.

Swat1*

[pgapro112]

That's what I thought too, but then I looked at the ICE website and it said that the Special Agents are trained in Spanish language. I know CBES didn't include Spanish and the three week add-on to CBES that covered immigration stuff didn't either.
I don't mean to doubt you, but do you know for sure that it isn't currently a part of SATP or could they have added it recently or is the website just wrong?

[Swat1]

Currently, ICESATP does not provide language instruction. What the future holds, no one knows. Hell, we don't even know what our name is going to be.

Swat1*

[Swat1]

pgapro112, Have you been accepted to ICESATP? I saw one of your posts states you are going to FLETC soon.

Swat1*

[pgapro112]

Yeah, I've been working as a Special Agent trainee with Customs for about two years now and I've just been converted into a full agent. I'm starting FLETC in Feb.

[Swat1]

"Special Agent trainee." Do you mean, Intern? Never heard of an S/A Trainee with Customs, except those in CITP and CBES, now ICESATP.

Swat1*

[pgapro112]

No, not an intern. As an agent I work with puts it, "interns wash cars, trainees work cases"...lol! Customs used to have an agent trainee program (extremely small and rarely heard of program, 8 people last I heard), which was a full salary, permanent federal appointment with the condition that if your supervisor reccommended you to the "higher ups" for an permanent agent job after working your specific time, you got it. I've heard that they've gotten rid of the program since DHS in favor of using just interns. Too bad, it was a really good program and I'm lucky I was able to take part in it.

[pgapro112]

PS: No offense meant to Interns!!!!

[Swat1]

Interesting, you learn something new every day (even about my own agency)! Well, if you have been working cases for the last two years you won't have a problem at FLETC.

Swat1*

[Island_Girl]

Does anyone else think that the acronym ICE sounds corny? LMAO....everytime I hear it I giggle. Sorry, no offense.

[Swat1]

Corny is an understatement. We hate it. I much prefer "US Customs" but that is water under the bridge now. Gotta live with it. Sounds like they are going to change the name, but not the acronym. I hope so. Starting off the agency name with "Immigration" is...... Well I'll leave it at that.

Swat1*