About

Overview

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative agency in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Formed in 2003 as part of the federal government's response to the 9/11 attacks, ICE's primary mission is to protect national security, public safety and the integrity of the U.S. borders through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade and immigration.

ICE boasts approximately 19,000 employees in over 400 offices worldwide and an annual budget of more than $5 billion. The agency's law enforcement authorities encompass more than 400 U.S. federal statutes that ICE is responsible for enforcing in its commitment to ensuring national security and public safety.

Organization

ICE is composed of three integrated operational directorates:

• Homeland Security Investigations (HSI): HSI comprises ICE's offices that are primarily devoted to criminal investigation, which includes the Office of Investigations, Office of Intelligence and Office of International Affairs. This directorate has responsibility for ICE's national security programs and ICE's investigative authority over criminal violations of U.S. law relating to illicit trade, travel, immigration and finance. In addition, HSI investigates violations of employment verification laws and visa violations in the U.S. and abroad.
• Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO): ERO comprises the ICE offices that are primarily devoted to civil immigration enforcement, namely the Office of Detention and Removal Management and the Secure Communities program. This directorate ensures a coherent and consistent approach to civil immigration enforcement in a manner that prioritizes convicted criminals, fugitives and illegal re-entrants, and recent border violators. ERO also oversees the agency's detention system, removal flight operations and efforts to locate aliens subject to criminal prosecution for illegal re-entry.
• Management and Administration (MA): MA comprises the Offices of the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Information Officer, Human Capital, Acquisition Management, Policy, Privacy, Training and Development, National Firearms and Tactical Training Unit, Freedom of Information Act, the Chief Diversity Officer and Equal Employment Opportunity. These offices support the missions of HSI and ERO and provide sound agency management. The directorate oversees management of ICE's budget, expenditure of funds, accounting and finance, procurement, human resources and personnel, workforce recruitment, equal employment opportunity, information technology systems, facilities, property, equipment, and the identification and tracking of performance measurements.

In June 2010, ICE issued a new strategic plan to govern the agency's operations and development from 2010 to 2014. The full plan is available for download and review.