Show-Me State Times

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has suggested Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri as a possible training site for new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. In a letter addressed to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Hawley highlighted the installation’s capacity and experience in law enforcement training.

“My state is grateful for your efforts to reverse the lawless open borders policy of the previous administration. A central part of these efforts has been the recruitment of thousands of additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. To facilitate the swift and effective training of these officers, I wanted to note the potential benefits of utilizing Fort Leonard Wood, a major Army installation in my state,” Hawley wrote.

He continued, “Fort Leonard Wood is currently a critical hub for military law enforcement training—housing both the U.S. Army Military Police School (USAMPS) and the Marine Corps Police Academy (MCPA)—and has a long history of supporting other federal law enforcement training efforts. The installation is able to accommodate sudden surges in its on-base population, and it currently has extra capacity to host additional missions due to the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI).”

Hawley concluded his letter by stating, “Put simply, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri has the infrastructure, experience, and space to support the rapid expansion of ICE’s critical immigration enforcement workforce.”

The full text of Senator Hawley's letter is available online.