How ICE Evolved From 4-Person Agency to 22,000-Strong Force

What Happened Vox’s investigation into ICE’s historical claims reveals a striking transformation in American immigration enforcement. The agency’s website states that “despite U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s relatively young age, its functional history predates the modern birth of the agency by more than 200 years.” This “functional history” refers to the evolution of federal immigration services that began in 1891 with the creation of the first federal immigration agency—a modest operation with just 4 employees.