U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003, formed from a merger of investigative and interior enforcement elements of the former U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The agency operates with over 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel across more than 400 offices in the United States and internationally.

ICE's core mission is to promote homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws related to border control, customs, trade, and immigration. The agency is structured into several operational directorates. Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) is responsible for upholding U.S. immigration law, managing the immigration enforcement process, and removing undocumented aliens. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducts federal criminal investigations to disrupt transnational criminal organizations and terrorist networks, addressing issues such as human trafficking, financial crimes, narcotics smuggling, and intellectual property theft. The Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) represents the Department of Homeland Security in immigration removal proceedings and offers legal counsel across various domains, including customs, criminal, and immigration law enforcement, and handles administrative claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act.