How presidential policy becomes ICE’s identity

We will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came

If we find an illegal alien there, they're coming. We're not going to turn a blind eye to illegal immigration

My city is being terrorized. ICE is doing a good thing. They are getting rid of criminals. That's all there is to it

They should feel safe at their school. Our officers and agents are increasingly facing aggressive interference and intimidation when executing the laws that you have asked them to enforce

ICE operations are a hot topic, no matter your politics. Cracking down on immigration, a high priority for the right

Nothing has changed for how they operate, going out there and making sure they're detaining people that are here illegally, that have committed criminal activities

and that need to be removed from our country. The mass expansion of enforcement and tactics, a concern on the left

This should be of deep concern for you, no matter what town you're in in America

because your town could be next. Your liberties, your freedoms could be sacrificed because of what this administration is doing

But as this agency dominates headlines, what do you really know about U.S. immigration and customs enforcement

After the terror attacks on 9-11, President George W. Bush created ICE with the Homeland Security Act

The deliberate and deadly attacks which were carried out yesterday against our country

were more than acts of terror. They were acts of war. This will require a country to unite in steadfast determination and resolve

The Bush administration split the Immigration and Naturalization Service into three agencies

under the Department of Homeland Security. ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

This combined federal security efforts into one department to prevent future terrorist attacks and protect Americans from a wide range of threats For five years Bush worked to expand ISIS partnerships with local law enforcement

including under the 287G program, which deputizes local police for immigration actions

About two million unauthorized immigrants are deported under Bush, two-thirds coming from deeper inside America rather than along the border

Another 8 million immigrants returned home on their own. President Barack Obama inherited an enforcement mechanism in ICE that was far stronger than what his predecessors had

His administration deported more immigrants than any previous presidencies. He was criticized over due process concerns, with one report saying 75% of people deported didn't see a judge

The ACLU and others called him deporter-in-chief. Why did you deport two million people

Jorge, you called me deporter in chief. I did not. In the later years of his presidency, Obama narrowed his focus on targeting people who

posed national security threats or had committed serious crimes. In his last year in office, more than 90 percent of removals inside the country were non-citizens

with serious convictions. At the same time, he created programs like DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

allowing people who were brought to the U.S. as kids to stay and work legally, even without legal immigration status

The Lawful Permanent Residence Program helped parents of DACA recipients avoid deportation

The Constitution of the United States. So help me God. So help me God

Congratulations. When President Donald Trump took office for the first time, he expanded ICE's role even

more, launching a massive interior operation through executive order his first week

He refocused ICE on all unauthorized immigrants not just those with criminal records By 2018 the Department of Justice adopted a zero policy prosecuting all adults who cross the border unlawfully

with no exceptions for asylum seekers or people with children. This policy led to thousands of children getting separated from their parents in Trump's first term

Stay loud, stay clear! Immigrants are welcome here! Hundreds of people not knowing if they're going to go to work

If they have to go back to their countries, leaving behind families, jobs, friends, communities will be lost

Trump also attempted to end DACA, but the Supreme Court ruled against his administration

While ICE's enforcement targets grew to include all unauthorized immigrants, more pinpointed programs, like Operation Matador, went after alleged MS-13 gang members

In 2018, it announced 475 arrests, nearly half of those with criminal records

though later reports criticized the op for sweeping up unrelated high schoolers

So help me God. Congratulations, Mr. President. When President Joe Biden took office, he immediately directed DHS to go back to

prioritizing criminals and threats to national security, saying limited resources keep them from going after any and all immigration violations

The American Immigration Council later found ICE still repeatedly arrested and removed people who didn't fall under categories listed in Biden's enforcement memos

Many of his policies were met with mixed reaction. His family expedited removal management program, touted as being a more humane way to process asylum seekers, was criticized for being too fast to be fair

And as unauthorized crossing surged, Biden was accused of having an open border policy

So help me God. So help me God. Congratulations. As Trump returned to office in 2025, his second administration increased ISIS scope with the nationwide immigration crackdown

With more than 600 deportations in 2025 alone another 2 million self Donald Trump has got to go Hey hey Ho ho

The agency is also expanding its detention center footprint. Planning first started in the last year of Biden's presidency, but the numbers, and need, are growing under Trump

The number of people in ICE detention increased more than 70 percent

from 41,000 to nearly 71,000 in Trump's first year back. And in 2025, roughly 29 people died in ICE's custody

That's the highest number since 32 deaths were reported in 2004. In fiscal year 2004, ICE's budget was $2.8 billion

By 2024, funding reached $9.8 billion. But in 2025, Trump's one big, beautiful bill act gave ICE another $75 billion to spend over four years

This is on top of its annual funding of roughly $10 billion. Controversial policies such as using administrative warrants to enter homes or arrest non-targeted individuals draw legal scrutiny

with critics arguing ICE has overstepped constitutional boundaries. More local law enforcement partners with ICE

from 135 agencies in 2024 to more than 1,000 by January of 2026

ICE was created to meet the nation's need to enforce immigration policy

While its core mission is defined by law, how aggressively it enforces that law depends on who sits in the Oval Office

and how Congress and the courts exercise oversight. The version of ICE we see today might not look the same 10 years from now

Presidents, lawmakers and judges all play a role in shaping how much power it has

and how that power is used. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Sarah Peters