Description
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety.
This mission is executed through the enforcement of more than 400 federal statutes and focuses on immigration enforcement, preventing terrorism and combating the illegal movement of people and goods. ICE has two primary components: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
ICE maintains attachés at major U.S. diplomatic missions overseas. ICE does not patrol American borders; rather, that role is performed by the United States Border Patrol, a unit of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is a sister agency of ICE.
The Acting Director is Tae Johnson. The agency has not had a Senate-confirmed director since Sarah Saldaña stepped down on January 20, 2017.
The agency has been subject of criticism and several controversies, including allegations of sexual abuse, torture and wrongful arrest of US citizens.
