# Overview of ICE: History, Structure, and Operations
> An academic guide to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), covering its post-9/11 origins, ERO and HSI divisions, and agency operations.

Tags: ice, dhs, homeland-security, law-enforcement-agencies, us-government, immigration-policy, hsi, ero
## Slide 1: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- Academic overview of agency structure, history, and operations.

## Slide 2: What is ICE?
- Federal law enforcement under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
- Formed in 2003 via the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
- Combines functions of the former INS and U.S. Customs Service.

## Slide 3: Historical Context: Post-9/11
- Response to the 2001 attacks to consolidate border, customs, and immigration enforcement.

## Slide 4: Organizational Structure: Two Main Pillars
- **ERO (Enforcement and Removal Operations):** Focuses on apprehension and detention within the U.S.
- **HSI (Homeland Security Investigations):** Targets transnational crimes like trafficking and cybercrime.

## Slide 5: Workforce & Operations Scale
- Budget: ~$8-9 billion (FY2023).
- Personnel: Over 20,000 employees globally.
- Distribution: ~8,000 ERO, ~7,000 HSI, ~5,000 Support.

## Slide 6: Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO)
- Manages custody of foreign nationals and logistical coordination of removals.
- Historical statistics show a peak of 409k removals in 2012, decreasing to 59k in 2021.

## Slide 7: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
- Investigates cross-border crimes: Gangs (Operation Community Shield), fraud, and intellectual property theft.

## Slide 8: Operating Model: Detention
- Network of detention facilities owned by ICE or contracted through local/private entities.

## Slide 9: Common Confusion: ICE vs. CBP
- **CBP:** Operates at the border (interdiction).
- **ICE:** Operates inside the U.S. (interior enforcement and investigations).

## Slide 10: Summary & Mission
- Dual mission: Administrative removal (ERO) and criminal investigation of transnational networks (HSI).
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