The debate about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has become prominent in recent years. However, there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding around what ICE does and how it works. To understand more, it is important to look at the role and responsibilities of this agency.
What Is Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)?
ICE is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that is responsible for enforcing the country’s immigration and customs laws. This includes investigating violations of immigration and customs laws, detaining and removing people who are in the country without proper documentation, and working with other agencies to identify, disrupt and dismantle smuggling and criminal organizations.
What Does ICE Do?
ICE is tasked with enforcing the nation’s immigration and customs laws, investigating violations, and removing people who are in the country without proper documentation. In doing so, they work with other federal, state and local law enforcement partners to:
- Identify, disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal networks that smuggle people or contraband into the United States.
- Conduct criminal investigations into matters related to immigration.
- Interdict contraband and counterfeit consumer products.
- Identify and take enforcement action against employers who hire undocumented workers.
ICE also works in partnership with agencies around the world to ensure that U.S. immigration laws are upheld and that individuals who seek to enter the United States without proper authorization are identified and detained.
What Does ICE Not Do?
Despite their focus on the enforcement of immigration and customs laws, ICE does not target any specific group or nationality. ICE does not enforce the nation’s criminal laws. They do not act on their own initiative to investigate or arrest people outside the scope of federal immigration laws. ICE also does not work in conjunction with other law enforcement to target any specific group other than those who are in violation of immigration laws.
Conclusion
ICE plays a vital role in keeping the country safe and ensuring that our borders and laws are secure. Understanding what ICE does and does not do is essential to ensuring that our immigration laws are properly enforced and to minimizing the impact of illegal immigration.