Following the devastating attack on the United States on September 11, 2001, the United States created a new governmental structure to investigate and manage immigration and terrorist activity around the world in order to better protect the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created in 2003 as part of this government reorganization. The largest investigative arm of the DHS is the Immigration Custom Enforcement Agency, also known as “ICE”. The mission on ICE is to investigate terrorist activity around the world and to enforce the stricter immigration laws passed since the attack on September 11, 2001. Terrorist activity includes smuggling of persons or property/drugs and illegal presence in the United States.
Four Distinct Offices Make Up ICE
Within ICE, there are four offices with distinct areas of focus:
- Office of Detention and Removal (DRO)—primary enforcement arm of ICE which coordinates detention and removal of aliens who are in the U.S. illegally or who violate the law.
- Office of Intelligence –Field Intelligence Groups (FIGs) are created by geographic location and are responsible for providing intelligence regarding possible terrorist activity to other departments in DHS and work with local law enforcement to create awareness across security forces.
- Office of Investigations (OI)- investigates crime, human rights violations, smuggling and financial crimes.
- Office of International affairs (OIA)-investigates crimes within organized crime and works as the liaison between ICE and local law enforcement around the world to investigate possible terrorist activity.
The Mission of ICE Includes Border Enforcement
ICE employs more than 19,000 workers in over 400 offices around the world. The mission of ICE is to create better communication among all agencies working to protect the borders of the U.S. In an effort to address the issue of transnational smuggling, ICE has created the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST). BEST teams are made of officers from ICE and local law enforcement officers. There are BEST teams in select cities on the northern and southern borders of the United States as well as in some port cities where all cargo must be scrutinized for smuggling.
If you or someone you know has been detained by ICE, it is a serious situation which requires competent legal representation. ICE was created to enforce strict immigration laws in order to protect the people of the United States and any perceived threat to the safety of Americans will not be taken lightly. ICE is responsible for removing persons who are in the U.S. illegally, or who pose a threat to the safety of the U.S. Of course the heightened alert may result in some innocent people being detained and if you or someone you know is one of those unlucky detained innocent people, competent legal representation will greatly increase your chances of freedom from prolonged detainment or removal.
