The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In 2003, the Homeland Security Act separated ICE from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). ICE is the largest investigative agency under the DHS, with four operational directorates:
- Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the principal investigative directorate, responsible for investigating and acting against transnational criminal networks;
- Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), which enforces U.S. immigration law at, within, and beyond U.S. borders;
- Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA), the exclusive representative of DHS in immigration removal proceedings;
- and Management and Administration (M&A), which supports the above branches by providing managerial services.
ICE’s primary mission is to promote homeland security and public safety through criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration.
For instance, ICE will authorize the conduct of homeland security investigations or initiate the removal process for a person who submitted a fraudulent visa application or brought counterfeit merchandise into the U.S. During the removal process, the detention and deportation of the person who violated the immigration laws is managed by ICE.
ICE employs over 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel, with an annual agency budget of approximately $8 billion.
[Last updated in June of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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