U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest and primary law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Its duty is to protect the nation's border. Its main office is located in Washington, D.C..

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Abbreviation	ICE
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ICE is a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security
Motto	"Protecting National Security and Upholding Public Safety"
Agency Overview
Formed	2003, March 1
Preceding agencies	Criminal investigation resources of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service United States Federal Protective Service Investigative and intelligence resources of the United States Customs Service
Annual Budget	$5 billion (2008)
Legal personality	Governmental agency
Jurisdictional Structure
Federal agency	United States
Constituting instrument	Homeland Security Act of 2002
General nature	Civilian agency Federal law enforcement
Operational Structure
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Agency executive	John P. Torres, Acting Assistant Secretary
Parent agency	U.S. Department of Homeland Security

ICE is run by an assistant secretary, who is given the job by the President of the United States, confirmed by the Senate, and reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement Media

• Flag of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement

• ICE HQ in DC.jpg

  ICE headquarters building in Washington, D.C.

• ICE HSI Special Response Team (SRT) training using armored vehicle.jpg

  HSI Special Response Team (SRT) members training using armored vehicle at Fort Benning in Georgia

• Homeland Security Investigations forces with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida on May 6, 2025.jpg

  Homeland Security Investigations agents with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida on May 6, 2025

• HSI conducts FTX at Nellis 120920-F-AD344-107.jpg

  HSI Rapid Response Team members provide medical care to a simulated casualty during the RRT Field Familiarization and Disaster Response Training exercise September 20, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, NV.

• ICE Arrest.jpg

  ICE ERO officers deporting a man to Mexico

• HSI Special Response Team (SRT) drug raid during Operation Pipeline Express in Arizona

• ICE.Arrest lg.jpg

  ICE officer detaining a suspect

• Keep Families Together.jpg

  A protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Philadelphia, June 2018

Related pages

• List of United States federal law enforcement agencies

Other websites

• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement Bureau Meeting Notices and Rule Changes Archived 2008-10-14 at the Wayback Machine from The Federal Register
• Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
• ICE detentions and criminal prosecutions of employers hiring illegal employees. Archived 2008-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
• ICE worksite enforcement efforts. Archived 2008-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
• Most recent detentions and statistics from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Archived 2008-12-18 at the Wayback Machine
• RSS Feed Archived 2008-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
• The Real Political Purpose of the ICE Raids from Dollars & Sense magazine

International agencies like ICE

• Australian Customs Service
• RCMP Customs and Excise Branch - Canada Archived 2008-06-16 at the Wayback Machine
• RCMP Immigration and Passport Branch - Canada Archived 2008-06-22 at the Wayback Machine
• Serious Organized Crime Agency - UK Archived 2013-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
• RCMP Integrated Border Enforcement Teams - Canada