Morton Announces Realignment at ICE
With the aim of consolidating core departmental functions, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) will be realigning its criminal investigation and immigration enforcement operations under three new directorates: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and Management and Administration.
Criminal investigation offices will be aligned under HSI, immigration enforcement offices will fall under the ERO directorate, and supporting and administrative offices will report to the Management and Administration directorate.
Six offices within ICE that will remain independent from the newly created directorates upon implementation are; the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, the Office of Detention Policy and Planning, the Office of Professional Responsibility, the Office of Public Affairs, the Office of Congressional Relations, and the Office of State and Local Coordination.
The realignment, announced recently by Assistant Secretary John Morton, is also an attempt to rebrand ICE as a criminal investigations agency and not simply an enforcer of civil immigration law. Although immigration enforcement will remain a top priority for ICE, officials hope that the realignment will highlight the numerous functions the agency serves to protect the homeland.
