'Immigration and Customs Enforcement' Seal of U.S. Customs and Border Protection |
| 'Established:' | March 01, 2003 |
| 'Department:' | Homeland Security |
| 'Assistant Secretary:' | Julie L. Myers |
| 'Budget:' | $7.8 Billion (2007) |
| 'Motto:' | ''Protecting National Security and Upholding Public Safety'' or "'I'ntegrity, 'C'ourage, and 'E'xcellence". |
'Immigration and Customs Enforcement' (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the
United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is responsible for identifying and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation and infrastructure security. ICE is charged with the enforcement of over 400 federal statutes within the United States and maintains attaches at major U.S. embassies overseas. As such, ICE
Special Agents arguably possess the broadest investigative authority within the United States Government.
The stated mission of ICE is to protect America and uphold public safety by targeting the people, money and materials that support terrorist and criminal activities. The motto of ICE is "'I'ntegrity, 'C'ourage, and 'E'xcellence".
ICE is led by an Assistant Secretary who is appointed at the sub-cabinet level by the
President of the United States and confirmed by the
U.S. Senate. Consequently, the Assistant Secretary reports directly to the
Secretary of Homeland Security.
History
ICE Special Agents seizing narcotics during an arrest
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was formed pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002 following the events of September 11, 2001. With the establishment of the
Department of Homeland Security the functions and jurisdictions of several border and revenue enforcement agencies were combined and reconstituted into Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Consequently, ICE is the largest investigative arm of DHS, and the second largest contributor to the nation's
Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The agencies that were either moved entirely or merged in part, based upon their law enforcement functions, included the investigative and intelligence resources of the
United States Customs Service, the law enforcement resources of the
Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the
United States Federal Protective Service. Consequently, ICE is also charged with the protection of federal buildings within the United States.
Organization
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is responsible for eliminating border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security vulnerabilities. As such, the ICE organization is composed of four law enforcement divisions and several support divisions. These divisions of ICE combine to form a new investigative approach with new resources to provide unparalleled investigation, interdiction, and security services to the public and other law enforcement partners in the federal and local sectors.
ICE has the broadest investigative authority of all the federal
law enforcement agencies in the United States government, including the
FBI. ICE is responsible for enforcing over 400 federal criminal statutes, as well as numerous administrative provisions of the U.S.
Code of Federal Regulations.
★ '''Office of Investigations''' - OI has broad legal authorities allowing it to investigate and combat a range of issues that threaten
national security such as strategic crimes, human rights violations, human smuggling, human trafficking, narcotics, weapons and other types of smuggling (including weapons of mass destruction), immigration crimes, financial crimes, terrorism, cybercrimes and import/export enforcement issues. ICE
Special Agents also conduct investigations aimed at protecting critical infrastructure industries that are vulnerable to sabotage, attack or exploitation. Additionally, ICE Special Agents may be called upon to perform the duties of a
Federal Air Marshal, or
Secret Service agent.
★ '''Office of Intelligence''' - Intelligence Research Specialists are responsible for the collection, analysis and dissemination of strategic and tactical
intelligence data for use by the operational elements of ICE and DHS.
★ '''Office of Detention and Removal''' - DRO is responsible for enforcing immigration laws and ensuring the departure from the United States of all removable aliens. DRO's Immigration Enforcement Agents (IEAs) are the uniformed presence of immigration enforcement within the interior of the United States. Through the Alien Criminal Apprehension Program (ACAP), IEAs apprehend and remove criminal aliens found in
jails and
prisons. IEAs also are responsible for the transportation and detention of aliens in ICE custody. DRO's Deportation Officers prosecute aliens for illegal re-entry after deportation, monitor cases during deportation proceedings, supervise released aliens who are subject to deportation, and removing aliens from the United States. DRO also operates the Fugitive Operations Program (FUGOPS) that locates and apprehends aliens that are still in the United States with an outstanding Warrant of Deportation. DRO custody management consists of a partnership with the
U.S. Marshals Service in operating
JPATS, the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System, otherwise known as Con-Air to remove criminal aliens from the United States. DRO is also responsible for the detention of aliens who are in deportation proceedings and managing ICE and contract detention facilities.
★ '''Office of
Federal Protective Service''' - responsible for policing, securing and ensuring a safe environment in which federal agencies can conduct their business by reducing threats posed against the more than 8,800
federal government facilities nationwide. FPS employs over 2000
police officers and over 15000 contract
security guards to perform their mission.
★ '''Office of the Principal Legal Advisor''' - OPLA provides legal advice, training and services to support the ICE mission and defends the interests of the United States in the administrative and federal courts.
★ '''Office of Congressional Relations''' - OCR acts as the liaison between ICE and Congress.
★ '''Office of Professional Responsibility''' - OPR is responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct involving employees of ICE and
Customs and Border Protection (CBP). OPR preserves the organizational integrity of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by impartially, independently and thoroughly investigating allegations of criminal or serious administrative misconduct by ICE and CBP employees worldwide. Additionally, OPR inspects and reviews ICE offices, operations and processes so as to provide executive management with independent reviews of the agency's organizational health. In this role, OPR assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of ICE in carrying out its mission.
Hiring Process
The broad law enforcement mission and authorities of ICE carries unusual trust and responsibility, therefore, the process of becoming an ICE employee is arduous and competitive. Applicants may expect to undergo a battery of mental, intellectual, and physical tests, as well as interviews, medical screenings, and an extensive background investigation. Information about joining ICE is available through local ICE offices or on the ICE website.
Training
Newly hired ICE
Special Agents, Deportation Officers, Immigration Enforcement Agents, and
Federal Protective Service officers undergo initial training at the ICE Academy on the
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia and having Advanced Training to take place at the Charleston, SC Branch of FLETC in the near future. All officers start at GS 5 or 7 paygrade(1811/1801), with Special Agents having a Journeyman level of GS 13 with LEAP, while Deportation Officers have a Journeyman level of GS 12 with AUO, and IEA's having a Journeyman level of GS 9 with AUO. To meet all other agency combined academic instruction and practical exercises, the ICE Academy varies in length from 12 to 24 weeks depending on the position. After graduation, new ICE Special Agents and Officers undergo additional post academy training, as well as career-continuous training, and are assigned to an ICE office anywhere in the nation as well as around the world. Professional support staff are also assigned to of one of the many ICE offices. However, any Agent, Officer, or Support staff member may be transferred to any location for any length of time at the needs of ICE.
Select ICE agents are cross-trained and certified to perform, in times of need, Secret Service protective details assisting with guarding the
President,
Vice-President, or major candidates and their families. Furthermore, select ICE agents are also cross-trained to perform and, in times of need, fly
Federal Air Marshal missions.
ICE and Immigration Law
Immigration and Nationality Act Section 287(g), as passed by Congress, is designed to effectively multiply ICEs forces through enhanced cooperation and communication with state, and local law enforcement agencies. Section 287(g) authorizes the
Secretary of Homeland Security to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, permitting designated officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions, pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), provided that the local law enforcement officers receive appropriate training and function under the supervision of sworn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Under 287(g), ICE provides state and local law enforcement with the training and subsequent authorization to identify, process, and when appropriate, detain immigration offenders they encounter during their regular, daily law-enforcement activity.
"The days of ignoring immigration law are over," Marc Raimondi, A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman, said. "A failure to comply is not an option. The person ordered to be removed needs to comply with that order or we'll assist them with compliance. To think of people illegally in the country who have been convicted of crimes are walking around is outrageous."
[1]
Julie Myers, the assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security told a press conference. "America's welcome does not extend to immigrants who come here to commit crimes."
[2]
Criticism
ICE, along with its sister agency
Customs and Border Protection (CBP), performs related functions regarding the enforcement of federal law relating to the U.S. border. Some in Congress, as well as members of the public, believe that these two agencies should be merged. Some of the cases ICE investigates originate from a referral from CBP. These cases include the smuggling of narcotics, goods, weapons, and humans into the United States. CBP maintains U.S. ports of entry, which are targets for smugglers to illegally pass their illicit goods into the United States. There are those who feel the combined infrastructures of ICE and CBP should be merged into one agency with the border inspectors, deportation officers, and
Special Agents working hand in hand to combat crime.
Additionally, ICE operates detention centers throughout the United States that detain
illegal immigrants who are apprehended and placed into removal proceedings.
Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR), the engineering and construction subsidiary of
Halliburton Corporation, released a press statement on
January 24 2006 that the company had been awarded a no-bid contingency contract from the
Department of Homeland Security to support its Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in the event of an emergency. The maximum total value of the contract is $385 million and consists of a 1-year base period with four 1-year options. KBR held the previous ICE contract from 2000 through 2005. The contract provides for establishing temporary detention and processing capabilities to expand existing ICE Detention and Removal Operations Program facilities in the event of an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs. The contract may also provide migrant detention support to other government organizations in the event of an immigration emergency, as well as the development of a plan to react to a national emergency, such as a natural disaster, the company said.
Despite the fact that 'ICE' falls under the
Department of Homeland Security, it has played a key role in investigating and arresting citizens suspected of possessing and distributing child pornography.
[1] Due to the fact that a vast majority of child pornography is produced in foreign countries, ICE Special Agents utilize their authorities to investigate persons and groups that traffick in this type of contraband, the importation of which via traditional mail or internet channels constitute violations of Customs laws.
Equipment
An Air and Marine Operations (AMO) Black Hawk supporting an ICE operation
ICE agents and officers carry the
Sig Sauer P229R pistol with the DAK trigger chambered in .40 caliber, the
Heckler & Koch USP Compact with LEM trigger in .40 caliber, or the Glock 19 pistol chambered in 9mm. (It should be noted that the H&K was the Legacy INS weapon, and the Glock is the Legacy U.S. Customs weapon. Eventually, all ICE special agents and officers will carry the Sig Sauer P229R-DAK.) They also may be assigned the
Remington Model 870 shotgun, the
Steyr Aug .223 bullpup rifle, the Colt M-16 carbine rifle, or the Colt M-4 carbine rifle. Agents and officers assigned to a Special Response Team (SRT) are assigned the Colt
M-4 carbine. Some SRT operators may also carry the
Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun, although these are being phased out.
ICE operates the a major nation-wide radio communication system in the federal law enforcement community. This system, known as the National Law Enforcement COMMUNICATIONS Center (NLECC), is Motorola-based and employs a technology specifically designed for ICE known as COTHEN (Customs Over The Horizon Network). ICE NLECC is not to be confused with the
United States Postal Inspection Service (
USPIS), National Law Enforcement CONTROL Center, also known as "NLECC" which is housed in Dulles, VA and Dallas, TX. (Both ICE NLECC and USPIS NLECC are federally funded communication centers that share the same acronym and almost an identical name, but operate independent of each other.) Consequently ICE agents, officers, and other authorized subscribers are able to communicate with one another through ICE NLECC channels. This system was previously known as SECTOR, prior to the 2003 merger.
See also
★
Shadow Wolves
International Agencies Comparable to ICE
★
Serious Organized Crime Agency - UK
★
Australian Customs Service
★
RCMP Customs and Excise Branch - Canada
★
RCMP Immigration and Passport Branch - Canada
Related Sources
★
Most recent detentions and statistics from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
★
ICE detentions and criminal prosecutions of employers hiring illegal employees.
★
ICE worksite enforcement efforts.
External links
★
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
★
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
★
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
★
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
★
U.S. Secret Service
★
Federal Air Marshal Service
★
U.S. Marshals Service - JPATS Website
★
Immigration And Customs Enforcement Bureau Meeting Notices and Rule Changes from The Federal Register
RSS Feed
Criticism
★
The Real Political Purpose of the ICE Raids from
Dollars & Sense magazine
References
1. http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/13635859.htm
2. http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=878522006
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