ICE immigration reform - Essay Example

The purpose of this essay is to discuss the effective progress that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have done to ensure tight security within the nation. ICE has fruitfully implemented various major reforms and agendas that have ensured improvement of public security. Primarily, ICE works under two operational bodies: Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Homeland Security Investigation (HIS). The main function of the ERO is to enforce U.S. immigration rules and regulations in a prioritized, fair, and effective approach (Camayd-Freixas, 2013).

This agency arrests and detains aliens who have illegally migrated into U.S. under ICE guidance (Hayes, 2012). On the other hand, HIS’s main role is to carry out investigations concerning homeland and abroad criminal cases arising from the illicit migration of people and goods within and across U.S. borders. Since 2009, ICE has centered its resources on the detention, apprehension, and deportation of aliens who fall within its enforcement priorities. Because of this focus, ICE has prioritized deportation of immigrants who pose a national security danger or public safety risk, for example, terrorists.

It also deports aliens who are against immigration laws, and illegal entrants. Through these efforts, ICE has witnessed effective success in enforcing immigration rules and regulations, and has ensured public security in U.S. For instance, in the year 2012, the Enforcement and Removal Operations removed 409,849 aliens. Out of these, 55% had criminal cases. Moreover, the ICE agency continues with its progress in removing illegal aliens from the country (Higley Nieuwenhuysen & Neerup, 2011). Prioritizing current boundary Crossers ICE’s current immigration enforcement progress is because of significant and smart priorities enforcement.

For the purpose of ensuring security at the country’s boundaries, and at the same time managing inadequate resources, ICE ensure removal and identification of current aliens and carries out focused enforcement acts with the Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This partnership with CBP is vital to DHS’s enforcement progress. Out of FY 2012 (240,363) removals, half of them were border immigrants. Additionally, the number of immigrants referred to ICE by CBP recent represents 44% the number of aliens in ICE detention on daily basis (Higley Nieuwenhuysen & Neerup, 2011).

Detention and Removal ICE Detention- After aliens enters the ICE detention; the immigrants get admission, photographed, fingerprinted, and within half a day, each individual gets first health screening. This follows a comprehensive health evaluation, such as completion of documented medical history and physical assessment. ERO assists in carrying out this assessment through an immigration court order and organizes their journey from the country with aid of travel documents. DHS and Department of Justice unions, together with the ICE cautiously controls the custody population in the southern border ensuring that it can deal with the substantial amendments in operational requirements that can take place in the county.

Effectively, ICE has strengthened its efforts to significantly, respond to these substantial changes ensuring that it has the correct infrastructure, and