ICE has been enforcing immigration laws primarily by detaining individuals based on alleged infractions, rather than addressing clear indications of illegal activity. How are agents, who are supposed to tackle clear markers of illegal behavior, responding to cross-border interventions through broadly defined “violations of immigration laws?”

Fun fact: President Franklin D. Roosevelt inherited anti-espionage efforts and established the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) on June 10, 1933. After the events of September 11, the INS was dissolved and replaced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Under DHS, three agencies were created, one being ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). This shift towards aggressive enforcement and stricter vetting programs, such as those run by ICE, aims to protect national security.

My question is: How does ICE enforcement relate to evading espionage, preventing terrorist threats, and addressing serious crimes in contrast to their engagement with protesters or “non-citizens?”