Who Are the Shadowy Contractors That Are Training ICE's Attack Teams?

"Over the past six months, per federal procurement records reviewed by The Lever, a variety of shadowy private security and weapons firms have been tapped to provide firearms and combat training to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) snipers and special response teams - several of which had never before received any federal contracts. Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who killed 37-year-old legal observer Renee Good in Minnesota last week, was a 10-year veteran of an ICE special response team, the agency's equivalent of a SWAT team. Good's killing has sparked nationwide unrest and scrutiny of ICE's increasingly violent tactics."

"The firms that have won valuable contracts under the Trump administration to train officers like Ross include a Texas armed security company, a politically connected sniper firm in Florida, and a shadowy tactical training company in Virginia. One, Target Down Group, is owned by the brother of Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), as Wired reported in September. These firms are among the many private entities, alongside private prison companies and social media surveillance firms, lining up for their cut of the Trump administration's deportation spending blitz, which nearly tripled ICE's annual budget with the enactment of the GOP's One Big Beautiful Bill in July."

"These firms are among the many private entities, alongside private prison companies and social media surveillance firms, lining up for their cut of the Trump administration's deportation spending blitz, which nearly tripled ICE's annual budget with the enactment of the GOP's One Big Beautiful Bill in July. ICE's workforce has ballooned by 120 percent since President Donald Trump's inauguration amid an unprecedented hiring frenzy. The agency has slashed its training requirements and loosened hiring standards to hire as many new recruits as possible."

Federal procurement records show shadowy private security and weapons firms have been contracted over six months to provide firearms and combat training to ICE snipers and special response teams. Several of those firms had never previously received federal contracts. Contract winners include a Texas armed security company, a politically connected Florida sniper firm, a Virginia tactical training company, and Target Down Group, owned by the brother of Rep. Nick LaLota. These private entities join private prison and social media surveillance firms seeking shares of expanded deportation spending after the GOP bill nearly tripled ICE's budget. ICE's workforce has grown 120 percent since President Trump's inauguration amid a hiring frenzy, with training requirements and hiring standards relaxed to onboard many new recruits. A 10-year veteran ICE special response agent, Jonathan Ross, killed 37-year-old legal observer Renee Good in Minnesota, provoking nationwide unrest and scrutiny of ICE tactics.

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