Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was created in 2003, as part of the newly formed Department of Homeland Security (DHS,) following the September 11 attacks. The agency combined the enforcement and investigative branches of two older agencies: Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS,) which handled immigration matters and the U.S. Customs Service, which focused on border and trade enforcement. The goal was to strengthen national security by bringing immigration and customs enforcement under one roof. Today, one of ICE’s key responsibilities is ensuring that employers follow federal rules on verifying work eligibility through I-9 audits and, when necessary, workplace enforcement actions.…
