Senator Schmitt Urges Sec. Hegseth to Make Fort Leonard Wood an ICE Agent Training Facility

Letter Follows Schmitt's Push in Senate Armed Services Committee

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) sent a letter to Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth proposing Fort Leonard Wood as a training facility for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. This comes after Senator Schmitt raised this proposal to General Christopher Mahoney during his confirmation hearing to be the next Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before the Senate Armed Services Committee on September 11, 2025.

Senator Schmitt wrote: "As I raised with General Mahoney during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on September 11, I believe Fort Leonard Wood offers an important opportunity for the Department of War to support a vital national security priority: training the next generation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents."

He continued: "Fort Leonard Wood is already a cornerstone of America's law enforcement training enterprise. The installation houses the U.S. Army Military Police School and the Marine Corps Police Academy, as well as the Army's Criminal Investigative Training program. These institutions have long demonstrated the Army's ability to prepare law enforcement professionals of the highest caliber. Beyond its existing missions, Fort Leonard Wood has vast unused capacity-thousands of acres of training grounds, robust barracks and classroom infrastructure, and a fully functional dual-use airfield-that could readily accommodate surge training needs for ICE."

He concluded: "I urge you to work proactively with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to make Fort Leonard Wood available for this mission. Leveraging synergies between our military law enforcement schools and civilian federal law enforcement is precisely the kind of coordination that enhances overall national security. It will strengthen border enforcement, make prudent use of existing Defense resources, and demonstrate the Department of War's ability to adapt to pressing national priorities."

Read the full letter HERE.

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