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  3. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
  4. Immigration Enforcement

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This page and its content reflects language used at the time of publication and may include terminology no longer used by the Department.

Immigration Enforcement

Immigration Enforcement action

Immigration enforcement is the largest single area of responsibility for ICE. While certain responsibilities and working closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and others require significant ICE assets near the border, the majority of immigration enforcement work for ICE takes place in the country’s interior.

ICE special agents aim to help businesses secure a lawful workforce and enforce immigration laws against those who encourage and rely on unauthorized workers, sometimes taking advantage of their situation to offer low pay and poor conditions.

Multiple programs help ICE focus and improve on stated priorities to find and remove illegal aliens who are criminals, fugitives or recent arrivals. Immigration enforcement includes cracking down on those who produce fraudulent documents to allow unlawful activity. Additionally, several efforts seek to continue improving the safe and humane detention and removal of persons subject to those actions.

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Last Updated: 09/18/2024
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