A Brief History of ICE

Who are they, when and why were they founded, and what is their job. Plus, a list of relevant resources.

June 09, 2025

In This Issue

Quick note: if you haven’t already, add our email address to your contact list! That way, our emails won’t end up in your spam folder 🙂 

🗳️ 

Main Story
A Brief History of ICE

📰 What’s Going On in the News?

  • In recent weeks, immigrant rights groups have protested increased ICE raids in major cities, citing fear and lack of due process.

  • A new internal memo leaked to the press reveals ICE plans to expand workplace enforcement, sparking legal and ethical debates.

  • Several lawsuits have been filed against ICE for allegedly detaining U.S. citizens and violating constitutional rights.

📘 Quick Explainer: What Is ICE?

  • ICE = Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

  • It was created in 2003 as part of the national security reorganization after 9/11, alongside the founding of DHS.

  • ICE is made up of two major divisions:

    • Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO): handles deportations and arrests of undocumented immigrants.

    • Homeland Security Investigations (HSI): focuses on investigating crimes like human trafficking, cybercrime, and smuggling.

  • ICE is not the same as Border Patrol. ICE mainly operates inside the U.S., not at the borders.

  • Over the years, ICE has become controversial due to:

    • Family separation policies

    • Detention conditions

    • Alleged racial profiling and surveillance

❗ Why This Matters

  • ICE has broad power to detain and deport, often with little oversight or transparency.

  • Their actions directly impact immigrant communities, even those with legal status or U.S. citizenship.

  • Understanding ICE helps us ask smart questions about immigration policy, human rights, and government power.

🧩 

That’s all for now. See you on Thursday. 😊 

Stay connected! Check out our podcast, Youtube page, Instagram, and previous newsletters.

Questions? Hit ‘reply’ and let’s connect.

Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at SparkCivic.Org for 100% free, bullet-pointed, educational, gamified political news roundups.