The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been featured in the news for an array of reasons, positive and negatives. Describe the history, components, and their areas of responsibility in DHS.

Full Answer Section
  • Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO): ERO is responsible for enforcing immigration laws and removing illegal immigrants from the United States. ERO also manages the nation's immigration detention system.
  • Office of Management and Administration (OMA): OMA provides administrative and support services to ICE, including budget and finance, human resources, and information technology.

ICE's areas of responsibility in DHS include:

  • Investigating and disrupting cross-border crime, including human trafficking, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
  • Enforcing immigration laws and removing illegal immigrants from the United States.
  • Managing the nation's immigration detention system.
  • Conducting homeland security investigations and providing intelligence support to other federal agencies.

ICE has been featured in the news for a variety of reasons, both positive and negative. On the positive side, ICE has been credited with disrupting major criminal organizations and making significant arrests in high-profile cases. For example, in 2018, ICE arrested the leader of the MS-13 gang, which is responsible for numerous violent crimes in the United States.

On the negative side, ICE has been criticized for its aggressive enforcement tactics, such as its use of raids and workplace arrests. ICE has also been criticized for its treatment of immigrants in detention, including the separation of families and the use of solitary confinement.

Overall, ICE is a complex agency with a broad range of responsibilities. It plays an important role in protecting national security and public safety, but it has also been criticized for its impact on immigrant communities.

Sample Answer

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It was created in 2003 by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which merged the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) with the U.S. Customs Service.

ICE's mission is to "protect America from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threatens our national security and public safety." It has three main components:

  • Homeland Security Investigations (HSI): HSI is the principal investigative arm of ICE. It investigates and disrupts a wide range of cross-border crimes, including human trafficking, drug trafficking, and money laundering.