U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Abbreviation	ICE
ICE is a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security
Motto	"Protecting National Security and Upholding Public Safety"
Agency Overview
Formed	March 1, 2003
Preceding agencies	Criminal investigation resources of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service United States Federal Protective Service Investigative and intelligence resources of the United States Customs Service
Annual Budget	$5 billion (2008)[1]
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional Structure
Federal agency	United States
Constituting instrument	Homeland Security Act of 2002
General nature	Federal law enforcement Civilian agency
Operational Structure
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Agency executive	John T. Morton, Assistant Secretary
Parent agency	U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., ICE is charged with the investigation and enforcement of over 400 federal statutes within the United States, and maintains attaches at major U.S. embassies overseas. Consequently, ICE agents possess broad investigative authority within the United States government.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

ICE is led by an Assistant Secretary, who is appointed at the sub-Cabinet level by the President of the United States, confirmed by the Senate, and reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security.^[7] The mission of ICE is to protect the United States and uphold public safety by targeting the people, money and materials that support terrorist and criminal activities.

[edit] History

ICE 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 consolidated into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Consequently, ICE is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, and the second largest contributor to the nation's Joint Terrorism Task Force (after the Federal Bureau of Investigation).^[8]

The agencies that were either moved entirely or merged in part into ICE included the investigative and intelligence resources of the United States Customs Service, the criminal investigation 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. At one point, the Federal Air Marshals Service was moved from the Transportation Security Administration to ICE, but they were eventually moved back to the TSA.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Organization

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is responsible for identifying and eliminating border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security vulnerabilities. ICE has an estimated 15,000 employees in 400 domestic and 50 international offices,^[9] though another official figure counts 17,200 employees.^[10] The organization is composed of four law enforcement divisions and several support divisions each headed by a director who reports to a Deputy Assistant Secretary.^[11] The divisions of ICE provide investigation, interdiction and security services to the public and other law enforcement partners in the federal and local sectors

ICE headquarters building in Washington, D.C.

[edit] Office of Investigations

OI uses its broad legal authority to investigate and combat a range of issues that threaten the national security of the United States such as strategic crimes, human rights violations, human smuggling, human trafficking, narcotics, arms trafficking and other types of smuggling (including weapons of mass destruction), immigration crimes, gang investigations, financial crimes, terrorism, computer crimes, 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.^[12]

[edit] Office of Federal Protective Service

The United States Federal Protective Service (FPS) is 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 9,000 federal government facilities and interests nationwide. FPS is divided into 11 regions and has some of the broadest jurisdiction and responsibility in the federal law enforcement sector.^{[citation needed]} FPS inspectors/federal agents perform all duties attendant to the normal interpretation of a federal police officer function, including maintaining law and order, preventing or deterring disturbances, and investigating criminal activity. ICE/FPS inspectors/officers frequently deploy to FEMA-declared disaster areas as well as to National Special Security Events to provide police and protection services. These agents also perform threat assessments of federal properties and facilitate the overall protection of those assets and the people associated with them. FPS employs over 1,100 federal law enforcement officials nationwide, and over 15,000 contract security guards to perform its mission. ^[13]

[edit] Office of Intelligence

The Office of Intelligence uses its Intelligence Research Specialists for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of strategic and tactical intelligence data for use by the operational elements of ICE and DHS. Consequently, the Office of Intelligence works closely with the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

[edit] Office of Detention and Removal

ICE officers deporting a man wanted for two murders in Mexico

DRO is responsible for enforcing the nation's immigration laws and ensuring the departure of all removable aliens from the United States. DRO uses its Immigration Enforcement Agents (IEA) to interdict, apprehend, and remove criminal aliens found in the nation's jails and prisons. As such, IEAs are the uniformed presence of immigration enforcement within the interior of the United States. IEAs also are responsible for the transportation and detention of aliens in ICE custody. DRO uses its Deportation Officers to prosecute aliens for illegal re-entry after deportation, monitor cases during deportation proceedings, supervise released aliens who are subject to deportation, and to remove aliens from the United States.^[14] Deportation Officers and IEAs also operate strategically placed Fugitive Operations Teams whose function is to locate, apprehend, and remove aliens who absconded from immigration proceedings and remain in the United States with an outstanding Warrant of Deportation. DRO custody management consists of a partnership with the United States 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.^[15]

[edit] 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.

[edit] Office of Professional Responsibility

OPR is responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct involving employees of ICE and U.S. 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.

[edit] Training

Newly hired ICE special agents, officers, deportation officers, immigration enforcement agents, and Federal Protective Service officers/inspectors undergo initial entry training at the ICE Academy on the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. To meet division specific academic and practical instruction, the ICE Academy varies in length from 12 to 24 weeks depending on the position. Furthermore, following 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 one of the many ICE offices.

[edit] Investigative Programs

[edit] National Security

The National Security Division monitors the conduct of field enforcement operations in the investigation, detection, interdiction, prosecution, and removal of alien terrorists, terrorist supporters, and hostile foreign intelligence agents located within the United States. This branch also has operational oversight of all ICE Special Agents assigned to the 66 FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF), provides continuous support to all counter-terrorism investigations and ICE field offices supporting those counter-terrorism efforts and provides actionable proactive counter-terrorism lead information, in furtherance of preventing and disrupting alien terrorist cells domestically and abroad.^[16]

[edit] Operation Community Shield

In February 2005, ICE began Operation Community Shield, a national law enforcement initiative that targets violent transnational street gangs through the use of ICE's broad law enforcement powers, including the unique and powerful authority to remove (deport) criminal aliens, including illegal aliens and legal permanent resident aliens.^[17] Under Operation Community Shield:

• Partners with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, in the United States and abroad, to develop a comprehensive and integrated approach in conducting criminal investigations and other law enforcement operations against violent street gangs and others who pose a threat to public safety.
• Identifies violent street gangs and develops intelligence on their membership, associates, criminal activities and international movements.
• Deters, disrupts and dismantles gang operations by tracing and seizing cash, weapons and other assets derived from criminal activities.
• Seeks prosecution and/or removal of alien gang members from the United States .
• Works closely with our attaché offices throughout Latin America and foreign law enforcement counterparts in gathering intelligence, sharing information and conducting coordinated enforcement operations.
• Conducts outreach efforts to increase public awareness about the fight against violent street gangs.

[edit] Operation Predator

ICE developed Operation Predator in 2003, an initiative to identify, investigate and arrest child predators and sexual offenders. Operation Predator draws on ICE's unique investigative and enforcement authorities to safeguard children. Coordinated nationally and internationally, Operation Predator brings together an array of ICE disciplines and resources to target these child sex abusers. As part of the effort:

• ICE has created a National Child Victim Identification System in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, the Department of Justice, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces and other agencies.
• ICE agents stationed internationally work with foreign governments, Interpol and others to enhance coordination and cooperation on crimes that cross borders.
• ICE is a member of the Virtual Global Taskforce, joining law enforcement agencies around the world to fight child exploitation information and images that travel over the Internet.

[edit] Cyber Crimes

The Cyber Crimes Center (C3) Child Exploitation Section (CES) investigates the trans-border dimension of large-scale producers and distributors of images of child abuse, as well as individuals who travel in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in sex with minors. The CES employs the latest technology to collect evidence and track the activities of individuals and organized groups who sexually exploit children through the use of websites, chat rooms, newsgroups, and peer-to-peer trading. These investigative activities are organized under Operation Predator, a program managed by the CES. The CES also conducts clandestine operations throughout the world to identify and apprehend violators. The CES assists the field offices and routinely coordinates major investigations. The CES works closely with law enforcement agencies from around the world because the exploitation of children is a matter of global importance.^[18]

C3 brings the full range of ICE computer and forensic assets together in a single location to combat such Internet-related crimes as:

• Possession, manufacture and distribution of images of child abuse.
• International money laundering and illegal cyber-banking.
• Illegal arms trafficking and illegal export of strategic/controlled commodities.
• Drug trafficking (including prohibited pharmaceuticals).
• General Smuggling (including the trafficking in stolen art and antiquities; violations of the Endangered Species Act etc.)
• Intellectual property rights violations (including music and software).
• Immigration violations; identity and benefit fraud

C3 consists of four sections, three of which provide cyber technical and investigative services, the Cyber Crimes Section (CCS), the Child Exploitation Section (CES), and the Digital Forensic Section (DFS). The fourth section, the Information Technology and Administrative Section (ITAS), provides the technical and *operational infrastructure services necessary to support the other three C3 sections. The center is a co-location of special agents, intelligence research specialists, administrative support, and contractors, all of which are instrumental in operational and technical continuity. Within each section, there are various program managers assigned to certain programmatic areas. These program managers are responsible for supporting ICE Internet investigations through the generation and the dissemination of viable leads. Program managers are available to provide guidance and training to field agents as well as to other law enforcement (foreign and domestic) upon request.^[19]

[edit] Child Exploitation

The C3 CES investigates large-scale producers and distributors of images of child abuse as well as individuals who travel in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in sex with minors. The CES employs the latest technology to collect evidence and track the activities of individuals and organized groups who sexually exploit children through the use of websites, chat rooms, newsgroups and peer-to-peer trading. The CES also conducts clandestine operations throughout the world to identify and apprehend violators. The CES assists the field offices and routinely coordinates major investigations. The CES works closely with law enforcement agencies from around the world because the exploitation of children is a matter of global importance.

• Operation Falcon — A joint international images of child abuse investigation initiated by ICE that identified 39 websites distributing child pornography. Further investigation led to the arrest of 1,200 international downloader’s and more than 300 U.S. customers. Nine individuals from the United States and Belarus were identified and charged as the principals in this investigation. All principals were convicted on various charges related to money laundering, structuring and the production and distribution of images of child abuse.
• Operation Mango — An extensive investigation that closed down an American-owned beachside resort in Acapulco, Mexico, which offered children to sexual predators. The resort was a haven for pedophiles that traveled to the facility for the sole purpose of engaging in sex with minors. The proprietor of the business was convicted. As a result of this investigation and others, the government of Mexico recently created a Federal task force to address crimes against children in its country.
• Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force — The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Juvenile Justice Programs, ICAC Task Force comprises 45 task forces. The task forces were created in cooperation with the DOJ ICAC to provide reporting, a means to provide a virtual pointer system for Child Exploitation and images of child abuse cases and secure collaboration for various Federal, State, and Local law enforcement organizations, task forces, and affiliated groups around the world. DHS/ICE strongly supports the efforts of the ICAC task forces as demonstrated by ICE special agents being active members of the ICACs throughout the United States. The Northern Virginia/Metro DC ICAC is housed at the DHS/ICE C3.^[20]

[edit] Cyber Crimes Section

The Cyber Crimes Section (CCS) is responsible for developing and coordinating investigations of Immigration and Customs violations where the Internet is used to facilitate the criminal act. The CCS investigative responsibilities include fraud, theft of intellectual property rights, money laundering, identity and benefit fraud, the sale and distribution of narcotics and other controlled substances, illegal arms trafficking and the illegal export of strategic/controlled commodities and the smuggling and sale of other prohibited items such as art and cultural property. The CCS is involved in the development of Internet undercover law enforcement investigative methodology, and new laws and regulations to strengthen U.S. Cyber-Border Security. C3 supports the ICE Office of Investigation’s (OI) domestic field offices, along with ICE foreign attachés offices with cyber technical, and covert online investigative support.^[21]

• Operations Apothecary – The CCS, the ICE Commercial Fraud Office and the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Coordination Center have partnered together and launched a comprehensive Internet pharmaceutical initiative designed to target, arrest and prosecute individuals and organizations that are involved in the smuggling of counterfeit pharmaceuticals of a controlled and non-controlled nature as well as scheduled narcotics via the Internet. The focus is also on the affiliates of the rogue pharmacies that are typically operated by criminal enterprises whose sole purpose is to generate large sums of money, with no regard to the health and welfare of the public.
• Intellectual Property Rights - The CCS has encountered thousands of web sites based in the United States, as well as foreign that are engaged in the sale of counterfeit merchandise (including music and software) via the Internet. The CCS continues to work closely with the National IPR Coordination Center, the Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) at the DOJ, and industry representatives to identify web sites responsible for the sale of the counterfeit items.
• Arms and Strategic Technology - The CCS supports ICE’s mission to prevent proliferate countries, terrorists, trans-national criminals from obtaining strategic materials, funds and support and to protect the American public from the introduction weapons of mass destruction and other instruments of terror from entering the United States.
• Identify Fraud Initiative - The availability and use of fraudulent identification documents has always been a concern to the law enforcement community. While traditionally available from street sources, fraudulent identification and travel documents, of all types, are also readily available for sale via the Internet. In the post 9-11 world, fraudulent identity and travel documents are of an even greater concern to ICE because of the alarming threat they pose to ICE's primary mission of protecting the United States, and its citizens, from threats arising from the movement of people and goods into and out of the country. With addressing these documents and their threat in mind, the CCS has sought to identify sources for fraudulent identity and immigration documents on the Internet.

[edit] ICE and immigration law

Immigration and Nationality Act Section 287(g) is designed to effectively multiply ICE 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.^[22]

"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."^[23]

ICE has played a key role in investigating and arresting citizens suspected of possessing and distributing child pornography.^[24] Because a vast majority of child pornography is produced in foreign countries, ICE special agents utilize their authority to investigate persons and groups that traffic in this type of contraband, the importation of which via traditional mail or internet channels constitute violations of customs laws.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Detention centers

ICE operates detention centers throughout the United States that detain illegal aliens who are apprehended and placed into removal proceedings. About 31,000 aliens are held in immigration detention on any given day,^[25] in over 200 detention centers, jails, and prisons nationwide.

In 2006, the T. Don Hutto Residential Center opened specifically to house non-criminal families. Other significant facilities are located in Austin, Texas (at the Travis County Courthouse); Elizabeth, New Jersey; Oakdale, Louisiana; Florence, Arizona; Miami, Florida; Seattle; York, Pennsylvania; Batavia, New York; Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, and all along the Texas–Mexico border.

[edit] Corporate contracts

Engineering and construction firm Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) 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 ICE 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, the company said.

[edit] Medical neglect and deaths

In March 2008, a Los Angeles federal judge said that immigration officials’ alleged decision to withhold a critical medical test and other treatment from a detainee who later died of cancer was "beyond cruel and unusual" punishment.^[26] Chairman Zoe Lofgren of the United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law said one of the things she found most troubling was that "bureaucrats" at ICE in Washington have the power to overrule recommendations of doctors who have actually seen the medical problems of detainees.^[26]

83 prisoners have died in detention or soon after in the five years since ICE was created in March 2003 until early 2008, and medical neglect may have contributed to 30 of those deaths.^[27] On August 6, 2008, 34-year-old New Yorker Hiu Lui Ng died in the detention of ICE.^[28] The editors of The New York Times condemned the death and urged that the system must be fixed.^[29] Chairman Zoe Lofgren of the United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law introduced legislation requiring ICE to provide basic medical care to those in their detention and prohibit ICE from removing the lifesaving medication of people who they arrest.^[30] ICE has stated that the number of deaths per capita in detention is dramatically lower for ICE detainees than for U.S. prison and jail populations, that they provide "the best possible healthcare", and that the nation as a whole is "experiencing severe shortages of qualified health professionals".^[31]'

[edit] Equipment

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An Air and Marine Operations (AMO) Black Hawk supporting an ICE operation

ICE officers carry the Sig Sauer P229R pistol with the DAK trigger chambered in .40 S&W, the Heckler & Koch USP Compact with LEM trigger in .40 S&W, or the Glock 19 pistol chambered in 9x19 mm. Eventually, all ICE officers will transition to the Sig Sauer P229R-DAK as their primary sidearm. They also may be assigned the Remington Model 870 shotgun, the Steyr AUG rifle, the Colt M16 rifle, the FN P90 or the Colt M4 carbine. Agents and officers assigned to a Special Response Team (SRT) are specifically assigned the Colt M4 carbine while some operators may also carry the Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun, although these are being phased out.

ICE operates the only nation-wide radio communication system in the federal law enforcement community. The 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). Consequently, ICE agents, officers, and authorized subcribers are able to communicate with one another across the nation using NLECC's strategically placed repeaters and high-speed data lines. Additionally, the NLECC, commonly referred to as SECTOR, is based in Orlando, Florida.

[edit] See also

United States portal

Law enforcement/Law enforcement topics portal

• List of United States federal law enforcement agencies
• Office of CBP Air
• Operation Endgame
• Operation Front Line
• Serious Organized Crime Agency
• Shadow Wolves

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement Bureau Meeting Notices and Rule Changes from The Federal Register
• Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
• ICE detentions and criminal prosecutions of employers hiring illegal employees.
• ICE worksite enforcement efforts.
• Most recent detentions and statistics from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• RSS Feed
• The Real Political Purpose of the ICE Raids from Dollars & Sense magazine

[edit] International agencies comparable to ICE

• Australian Customs Service
• RCMP Customs and Excise Branch - Canada
• RCMP Immigration and Passport Branch - Canada
• Serious Organized Crime Agency - UK
• RCMP Integrated Border Enforcement Teams - Canada

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