Supporting ICE - H.Res.990

The House passed (244-35) H.Res.990, a resolution to expresses the House of Representatives’ support for all United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and personnel who carry out the important mission of ICE, denounces calls for the complete abolishment of ICE, and supports the efforts of all federal agencies, state law enforcement, and military personnel who bring law and order to our nation’s borders.

Summary

H.Res. 990 expresses the House of Representatives’ support for all United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and personnel who carry out the important mission of ICE, denounces calls for the complete abolishment of ICE, and supports the efforts of all federal agencies, state law enforcement, and military personnel who bring law and order to our nation’s borders.

Background

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforces federal laws governing border control, customs, trade and immigration to promote homeland security and public safety. ICE was created in 2003 through a merger of the investigative and interior enforcement elements of the former U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. ICE now has more than 20,000 employees in more than 400 offices in the United States and 46 foreign countries. The agency has an annual budget of approximately $6 billion, primarily devoted to three operational directorates – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA). A fourth directorate – Management and Administration – supports the three operational branches to advance the ICE mission.

In addition to deporting aliens that pose a terrorist threat and overstayed a visa, as well as prescreening aliens who pose a security threat before they enter the United States, in Fiscal Year 2017, ICE:

• Arrested more than 127,000 aliens with criminal convictions or charges (76,000 dangerous drug offenses, 48,000 assault offenses, 11,000 weapons offenses, 5,000 sexual assault offenses, 2,000 kidnapping offenses, and 1,800 homicide offenses

• Made 4,818 gang-related arrests

• Seized more than 980,000 pounds of narcotics

• Seized 2,370 pounds of fentanyl and 6,967 pounds of heroin

  Cost

A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate is not currently available.