TOP STORY: The top 10 laws you didn't know ICE enforces

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) protects the United States by promoting homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade and immigration. To accomplish this mission, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and Office of the Principal Legal Advisor uphold more than 400 laws. Together, they investigate potential threats to the homeland, enforce criminal and civil laws, and prosecute those who have violated the law. Through this team work and by conducting multi-faceted law enforcement operations, ICE protects the United States and its interests.

Below are 10 of the laws that you didn't know ICE enforced.

Child Exploitation

ICE enforces and upholds United States Code Title 18 Section 2251. Prior to the creation of the agency in 2003, legacy U.S. Customs special agents investigated the disbursement of illegal child pornography that was often sent by mail or purchased overseas. With the advent of the Internet, the sharing and trading of child pornography now primarily occurs online. ICE also has the authority to investigate the illegal movement of people and goods across U.S. borders, and because the Internet is borderless, the sharing of contraband online is an international crime.

Read about some of ICE's most recent child exploitation cases.

Human Trafficking and the Importation of Aliens for an Immoral Purpose

Some of the human trafficking statutes that ICE enforces and upholds include United States Code Title 18 Chapter 77 and United States Code Title 18 Chapter 117. Further, ICE enforces and upholds Immigration and Nationality Act Section 278, 101(a)(43)(K)(iii), 101(a)(43)(N) and 237(a)(2)(H) and (F), which, among other things, forbids the importation of any alien for the purpose of prostitution, or for any other immoral purpose.

In its worst manifestation, human trafficking is akin to modern-day slavery. Victims will often pay to be illegally transported into the United States only to find themselves trapped by traffickers and forced into prostitution, involuntary labor and other forms of servitude to repay debts – often entry in the United States.

Read about some of ICE's most recent human trafficking cases.

Money Laundering

ICE enforces and upholds United States Code Title 18 Chapter 95. ICE leads trade-based money laundering investigations. Trade-based money laundering is the process of disguising criminal proceeds through trade to legitimize their illicit origins. Trade-based money laundering refers to a variety of schemes used to disguise criminal proceeds. Some of the illegal activities to launder money involve moving illicit goods, falsifying trade documents and misrepresenting trade-related financial transactions.

Read about some of ICE's most recent financial crime cases.

Counter-Proliferation Investigations

ICE enforces and upholds United States Code Title 18 Chapter 113B Section 2339B, Chapter 25 Section 473, Chapter 113 Section 2314 and Chapter 1 Section 21. Foreign adversaries are attempting to acquire U.S. technology by various means, both legal and illegal. Illicit transactions involving the United States' strategic technology not only jeopardizes its economic and national security but also endanger the safety of its citizens and soldiers. ICE prioritizes the prevention of illicit procurement networks, terrorist groups and hostile nations from illegally obtaining U.S. military products, sensitive dual-use technology, weapons of mass destruction, or chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials.

Read about some of ICE's most recent counter-proliferation cases.

War Crimes

ICE enforces and upholds United States Code Title 18 Chapter 118 Section 2441. This statute makes it illegal to commit a war crime. ICE has the authority to investigate situations where, during an armed conflict, a U.S. national or service member is a perpetrator or victim of war crimes.

Read about some of ICE's most recent human rights cases.

Extrajudicial Killings and Torture

ICE enforces and upholds Immigration and Nationality Act Section 212(a)(3)(E)(iii), 212(a)(3)(E)(iii)(I), 237(a)(4)(D) and United States Code Title 18 Chapter 133C Section 2340A. These statutes make it illegal to commit or attempt to commit torture. Enacted in 1994, this statute was used successfully to prosecute Chuckie Taylor, son of Liberian dictator Charles Taylor. Further, any alien who, outside the United States, has committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the commission of any act of torture or any extrajudicial killing is inadmissible.

Read about some of ICE's most recent torture cases.

Genocide

ICE enforces and upholds Immigration and Nationality Act Section 212(a)(3)(E)(ii), 237(a)(4)(D) and United States Code Title 18 Chapter 50A Section 1091. These statutes make it illegal in a time of peace or in a time of war to destroy, in whole or in substantial part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. After the Holocaust, the international community created a system to keep those who commit terrible crimes on a massive scale to destroy national, ethnic, racial or religious groups accountable. Since 2007, acts of genocide are punishable, even if the conduct occurred outside of the United States.

Read about some of ICE's most recent genocide cases.

Anti-Dumping Laws

ICE enforces and upholds United States Code Title 18 Section 542. Anti-dumping laws are those that prevent the import of products from another country at prices, which are less than the price charged in the United States or the actual price of production. ICE's Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties Programs investigate schemes to evade the payment of duties imposed on certain imports, which helps domestic producers compete against foreign suppliers engaged in or benefiting from dumping and export subsidies. Enforcing anti-dumping laws is one way that ICE protects U.S. businesses from fraudulent trade practices.

Read about some of ICE's most recent anti-dumping cases.

Use and Recruitment of Child Soldiers

ICE enforces and upholds Immigration and Nationality Act Section 212(a)(3)(G) and United States Code Title 18 Chapter 118 Section 2442, which makes the use and recruitment of child soldiers illegal. ICE has the authority to investigate individuals who knowingly recruit, enlist or use children younger than 15 to participate actively in hostilities. Any alien who has engaged in the recruitment or use of child soldiers is inadmissible.

Read about some of ICE's most recent child soldier cases.

Lacey Act

ICE enforces and upholds United States Code Title 16 Chapter 53, also known as the Lacey Act. Protecting both animals and plants through the criminal and civil enforcement of laws, the Lacy Act bans buying, selling, transporting or trading wildlife and vegetation that have been illegally obtained.

Read about some of ICE's most recent Lacey Act cases.