Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) (Essay Sample)

IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
Student’s Name
Criminal law
Date
Introduction
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) is among United States investigative departments. In the Homeland Security department, it is the largest arm. The investigative department of United States has more than 6500 special agents working in different cities in U.S. Apparently; the special agents cover over 200 cities in United States and as well other 47 nations. ICE is responsible for enforcing both immigration and custom laws in United States. It comes second from FBI in the law enforcement of the government. Officers in the ICE department of law enforcement monitor illegal businesses taking place in United States, illegal immigrants entering United States and illegal immigrants working in United States. More so, working with the custom department in United States, the law enforcement department monitors smuggling of goods in the United States territories. The paper is an analysis of Immigration and Custom Enforcement Agency (ICE).
History and formation of ICE
In United States, immigration became an issue when the country received a wave of European and Asian immigrants. In this period, the number of immigrants in United States increased. Therefore, different cities had different laws and policies governing immigration process. However, in 1875 the federal government of United States ruled the policy of cities governing and controlling their immigration policies and made it its responsibility of controlling the immigration process. During this period, the government developed different offices playing the role of controlling immigrants from other nations into the U.S where they processed their information, admitted them and as well in other cases rejected their admission to United States. This was a success to the nation in meeting the objective of controlling immigration in United States.
However, the nation faced a similar problem dealing with immigration during the First World War. However, in this period, the nation implemented a control policy through the already existing offices. The immigration department provided a limited number of visas to the nation and as well issued quota based on census figures. Due to the limited visas and quota policy adopted by the government, illegal immigration to the nation began. In addition, United States experienced a period of smuggling of immigrants along their physical borders. This raised concern over review of immigration enforcement laws and later made the federal government to conduct a Border Patrol. Deportation of illegal immigrants followed as a control measure of reducing and controlling immigrants in the nation. Immigrants in any nation pose a threat to the security of the nation and appear as causes and implementers or terror attacks taking place in any nations. Similarly, in United States, in September 11 2001, when the nation experienced a terrorist’s attack that left many citizens dead, the federal government reviewed its immigration policies and implemented laws aiming at controlling the number of illegal immigrants in the nation.
On the other hand, since the terrorists had illegally hijacked United States commercial lines, the federal government immediately reviewed its government operations based on the immigration and internal security of the nation. Other internal security departments and agencies erupted in the nation. In 2003, Department of Homeland Security started. Later, under the Department of Homeland Security, the nation created the Immigration and Custom Enforcement agency. The agency was responsible for effectively enforcing the immigration laws developed and as well impose customs on illegal smuggling of goods into the nations. Furthermore, this agency was to protect United States from terror attacks (information reviewed from; ALLGOV; Everything Our Government Really Does; U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement ICE). The ICE happens to be the biggest investigative component of the Homeland Security. The taskforce also ticks in second on the list of largest contributors to the Joint Terrorism Task Force in the nation.
Roles of Immigration and Custom Enforcement Agency in United States
The agency has a responsibility of governing the federal laws of United States. Its responsibilities vary from ensuring no illegal and smuggling of goods take place at the borders. More so, the agency governs criminal laws and as well civil laws influencing trade and customs in United States. The agency is investigative in nature since it has a high reliance on undercover agents while carrying out its activities in United States. Apparently, its operation gains support from cooperative defendants that aid them in gaining access to illegal immigrants in the nation.
As seen earlier, the agency began after United States faced a terror attack in 2011. Therefore, the agency’s top priority was preventing terror attacks and as well preventing other hostile nations from attaining access to the United States’ secret weapons. The agency plays crucial roles of detecting and as well preventing terrorist attacks. The agency does so by intercepting communications, attack preparations, financial support and limiting the entry into the US especially for suspects. The ICE has a National Security Division, which is in charge of the terrorist attacks and works closely with the FBI. The agency takes the fight against terrorism as a very serious course. The ICE has the mandate to singling out people who pose as the terrorist or are suspect of committing terror crimes. The agency then goes ahead to detain a suspected terrorist for questioning until they can find the information they are in search of. In such cases, the ICE can end up being successful while other time there is nothing really to find out from the suspects. The only thing is to find that the suspect was an innocent citizen and the agency has no option but to let such people free.
Similarly, as with other security agencies in other nations, ICE comprises of different departments performing different roles. Arms and Strategic Technology Investigations (ASTI) department is one unit in the agency that is responsible for investigating violations of sensitive technology from United States and as well access of hostile nations to United states weapons. The unit educates manufacturers on exportation laws and gives them assistance in ensuring that they are not prone to terrorists and as well other nations.
Interrelation with other security departments in United States
Most people confuse the functions of the ICE with those of the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). More so, there is a great confusion between the U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with the ICE. Nevertheless, despite the interrelation between the agencies, there lies a great difference in the agencies’ responsibilities in implementing federal laws in United States. The United States CBP is in charge of protecting borders of the nation. The agency is supposed to prevent the entry of terrorists and weapons which may belong to the terrorist from entering into the U.S territory. The USCIS takes responsibility when it comes to: organization of immigration and naturalization mediation capacities and securing movement administrations arrangements and necessities. Compared to the functions of the two agencies, the role of the Ice is very clear and in no way compromises the responsibilities of the USCIS and CBP. The ICE is not only concerned with the threats to nation’s borders: it also caters for the security of infrastructure, economy and the transport sector.
The Immigrations and Customs Enforcement comprises of a combination of the former US Customs, some departments within the Federal Protective Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). The combination of all these taskforces into one single agency was to make a stronger agency with a common goal: safeguarding immigration law and service in matters of national security. National security is one of the key factors for any government to consider. Without national security, the economy of a nation is put at risk and so many other factors. Therefore, national security should rather be an obligation and not an option to the government in power. The functions that were under the Immigration and Naturalization Service are now divided into the whole agency under different players. The ICE particularly deals with the deportation of illegal immigrants as one of its major duties. The agency is also supposed to deal with the state, local and federal agencies. The corporation between the above parties ensures that the national security is put first without compromise. The workers of the agency are also tasked with the responsibility of managing the ICE Detention Centers.
Organization of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency in enforcing criminal laws
The leadership of the ICE is under a director whose appointment is done by the President at the Sub- Cabinet level. The appointment, however, has to be approved by the Senate. The director of the ICE, however has a responsibility of making reports to the Secretary of Homeland Security. The agency has over twenty thousand employees, situated in all the fifty offices and others in forty-seven foreign counties. The agency runs on a budget of over $5.6 billion, and the agency has two major operation units: Homeland Security Services and Enforcement and Removal Operations. The current Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is Thomas S. Winkowski. Winkowski was elected to the position on March 16, 2014. In his position, Mr. Winkowski is tasked with the responsibility promoting homeland security and safeguarding the safety of the public. In his aid, there are about four hundred federal laws...