U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; principal federal agency enforcing immigration law and customs violations
Background
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security, established in 2003 following the dissolution of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. ICE is responsible for enforcing federal immigration laws, including detaining and removing individuals who are in the United States without legal authorization, as well as investigating cross-border crime. During the Trump administration’s second term beginning in 2025, ICE dramatically expanded its enforcement operations, resulting in record detention facility populations, multiple reports of deaths in custody, and significant legal disputes over deportation procedures, detention conditions, and violations of court orders.