U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

ICE was created in 2003 through a merger of the investigative and interior enforcement elements of the former U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

ICE currently has more than 20,000 law enforcement and support personnel working in over 400 offices within the U.S. and globally.

The main operational directorates of ICE are as follows:

1. Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO): Manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process, including identification, arrest, detention, bond, release, and removal.

2. Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA): Represents the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in immigration removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR).

3. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI): Serves as the principal investigative component of DHS and is responsible for various areas, including employer compliance (I-9 audits) and other investigative matters.