Which agency is primarily responsible for immigration enforcement in the United States?

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is primarily responsible for immigration enforcement in the United States. This agency has a central role in enforcing immigration laws, investigating immigration-related criminal activities, and detaining undocumented immigrants. ICE operates distinct divisions, including Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), which focuses on the apprehension and removal of unauthorized immigrants, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which deals with broader enforcement actions related to immigration violations.

While other agencies have important roles in immigration matters, ICE's specific mandate regarding enforcement makes it the primary agency in this area. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversees ICE, along with other components that contribute to immigration policy and security, but it is specifically ICE that carries out the enforcement of immigration laws. On the other hand, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is primarily focused on border security, including preventing illegal entry into the U.S., and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) manages the processing of immigration applications and benefits rather than enforcement.