what does a field attorney for ice do

by Danyka Blanda 5 min read

OPLA attorneys at Headquarters are referred to as Associate Legal Advisors, and the primary duty of this position is to provide legal support, subject matter expertise, and prudential counsel to ICE component leadership and OPLA field locations on all pertinent areas of law from immigration, customs, and criminal law; to contracts and procurement, labor and employment, ethics, and fiscal law.

OPLA attorneys in field locations are generally referred to as Assistant Chief Counsels, and the duties of this position consist primarily of representing the U.S. Government in removal proceedings before immigration judges.Sep 1, 2022

Full Answer

What is the role of ice in immigration enforcement?

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the primary investigative and enforcement branch of the federal immigration bureaucracy. ICE conducts investigations into alleged immigration violations ranging from I-9 non-compliance to the trafficking of human beings and the smuggling of weapons and drugs.

What is the job description of an ICE agent?

ICE is responsible for enforcing federal laws, both criminal and civil, that encompass border control, customs, trade, and immigration. ICE agents have been given broad investigative authority, and rely on undercover agents, surveillance, confidential informants, and cooperating defendants.

Is ice part of the Department of Homeland Security?

Featured In. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), primarily responsible for enforcing federal immigration and customs laws. Its powers include investigating, apprehending, arresting, detaining, and removing aliens within the United States.

What are the duties and responsibilities of an immigration attorney?

Additional duties include providing legal advice and support to the other ICE components and litigation support to the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in immigration and customs matters. The position also involves appellate advocacy before the Board of Immigration Appeals, including the preparation of briefs and other pleadings.

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How many field offices does ICE have?

For questions regarding security clearances, please contact the Personnel Security Unit at [email protected]. In addition to its headquarters in Washington, D.C., OPLA has 25 field locations with a presence in more than 60 offices throughout the United States.

What happens after prosecutorial discretion is granted?

A person granted prosecutorial discretion enjoys only a few immigration benefits, such as potentially a work permit (if they also grant "deferred action") and freedom from fear of deportation, for a limited time. Yet they have no clear path to U.S. lawful permanent residency (a green card).

What resources does ICE have?

Combating Transnational CrimeProtecting National Security.Preventing Crimes of Exploitation.Securing the Border.Ensuring Public Safety.Upholding Fairness in Global Trade.Investigating Cybercrime.Combating Financial Crime.

Who is the ICE principal legal advisor?

Kerry E.Kerry E. Doyle, ICE's principal legal advisor (PLA), the agency's de facto general counsel. Although Doyle's bio identifies her as “a recognized expert in complex immigration issues”, I had never heard of her in my nearly 30 years of immigration practice.

How long does it take for immigration judge to make a decision?

On average, cases completed during the first nine months of FY 2021 took 891 days (or 2.4 years) from the date of their Notice to Appear (NTA) to a decision, twice as long compared with 451 days (a little more than 1.2 years) on average during FY 2020.

Can I travel if I am in removal proceedings?

An applicant who is in removal proceedings should never travel outside the United States until they are granted legal status and permission to travel abroad. This is true even if the applicant receives advance parole.

What crimes does ice investigate?

Duties. HSI criminal investigators, also referred to as special agents, conduct criminal and civil investigations involving national security threats, terrorism, drug smuggling, child exploitation, human trafficking, illegal arms export, financial crimes, identity fraud, benefit fraud, commercial fraud and more.

What happens at an ice check in?

At the appointment, you will meet with an official who will go over the details of your case and review any new issues (such as arrests or new requests for immigration relief).

Do ice agents carry guns?

Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforces immigration law and can initiate deportation proceedings. ICE agents aren't police but they can carry guns or small clubs and may have gear that says “Police” on it. U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) audits employment-related immigration sponsorship.

Can you sue the Department of Homeland Security?

Can I Sue the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)? Yes, you may be able to sue the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its employees.

What is prosecutorial discretion immigration?

What does “prosecutorial discretion” mean? Typically, a grant of prosecutorial discretion means a decision not to pursue immigration enforcement (arrest, detention, and/or deportation) in a particular case.

What does OPLA mean?

Occupational and Professional Licensing Administration (OPLA) - Definition.

What is the purpose of prosecutorial discretion?

What is Prosecutorial Discretion (PD)? PD is the longstanding authority of a law enforcement agency, and an indispensable feature of any functioning legal system, that can be used to preserve limited government resources necessary to achieve just and fair outcomes in individual cases.

How does prosecutorial discretion improve the criminal justice process?

Prosecutorial discretion also allows prosecutors to secure the cooperation of witness defendants by allowing them to offer reduced sentences or charges in exchange for testimony against another defendant.

What does exercise of prosecutorial discretion mean?

“Prosecutorial discretion” is the authority of an agency or officer to decide what charges to bring and how to pursue each case. A law-enforcement officer who declines to pursue a case against a person has favorably exercised prosecutorial discretion.

What is it called when a prosecutor decides not to prosecute?

Prosecutorial Discretion A prosecutor also has the discretion to refrain from filing any charges at all. A prosecutor may choose not to pursue a criminal case for several reasons. Political pressure.

ICE eService Registration - Legal Representative Registration

All A-numbers must be numeric and 9 or 10 digits long; no spaces. Please use commas to separate multiple alien registration numbers.

How to Use the ICE Detainee Locator to Find Someone in Custody - VisaNation

When a friend or family member is taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, it can be quite a frightening experience. It becomes even more frightening if you don’t know which facility they have been taken to and the next steps to help them get released.

ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line 1-888-351-4024

Call for Assistance Appel à l’assistance clientèle Rele pou asistans Telefone para obter auxílio Gọi vào nhờ giúp đỡ Llame para obtener ayuda

Attorney | ICE - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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Ice eService Brochure

What is ICE eService? U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) eService is the electronic service of documents between the Office of the

OPLA Field Legal Operations

Field Legal Operations, or FLO, is OPLA’s largest component and includes the 25 field locations across the United States. Each OPLA field location is led by a Chief Counsel, who guides DHS’s advocacy before the local immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals.

OPLA Headquarters

OPLA’s Headquarters Divisions are led by a Deputy Principal Legal Advisor (DPLA) for Enforcement and Litigation, a DPLA for General and Administrative Law, and a Chief of Staff.

What can an immigration lawyer do?

An experienced immigration attorney can help you with any immigration-related conflict or dispute with any of these agencies. A good immigration lawyer can also help you with applications, petitions, and hearings. Should you face any immigration-related criminal charge, or should you be threatened with removal, you’ll need legal representation from a skilled Columbus immigration attorney.

What is the ICE?

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the primary investigative and enforcement branch of the federal immigration bureaucracy. ICE conducts investigations into alleged immigration violations ranging from I-9 non-compliance to the trafficking of human beings and the smuggling of weapons and drugs. ICE also initiates removal proceedings and manages detention facilities holding immigrants for trial or removal.

What is the name of the agency that processes green card applications?

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processes visa and green card applications and determines immigration benefits. Almost all applications and petitions requesting immigration benefits are submitted through USCIS. This agency also conducts the I-485 interviews, the last step in the application process for lawful permanent residence status (also known as green card).

Is immigration law confusing?

immigration policy and enforcement, but the Department of State (DOS) and Department of Labor (DOL) are also involved as well as every branch of the federal government, and to some extent, every state and many local governments.

What are the duties of ICE agents?

Common tasks performed by ICE agents involve the deportation process, such as apprehending and deporting illegal immigrants or criminal immigrants. Agents may also be asked to inspect documents and other cargo at customs checkpoints. ICE agents may work at border patrol to examine the credentials of individuals entering the United States, ...

What is ICE in the US?

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are responsible for preventing illegal immigration and preventing the unlawful traffic of goods into the US. With an increased emphasis on securing the nation’s borders, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is expanding, as are other federal law enforcement agencies.

How many classes do ICE agents need?

All newly hired ICE agents must complete two training courses: a five-week Spanish language training program and the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program. These programs help candidates gain a basic understanding of Spanish and incorporate skills training in physical fitness, first aid, firearms, and law enforcement driving maneuvers. Agents must pass a total of seven written examinations and the Physical Abilities Assessment (PAA).

How long does it take to get an ICE agent?

Because security is so important for ICE agents, the hiring process can take four months or longer. The minimum time the hiring process will take is two months.

How old do you have to be to be an ICE agent?

ICE agents must be United States citizens who are at least 21 years of age and under 37 years of age. The maximum age limit may be waived for US veterans and applicants who have served in certain federal law enforcement positions.

Can an ICE agent work from home?

In addition, agents will be assigned to a specific location but may spend considerable time away from their home post. I am not qualified for employment as an ICE agent.

What is the role of ICE?

ICE is responsible for enforcing federal laws, both criminal and civil, that encompass border control, customs, trade, and immigration. ICE agents have been given broad investigative authority, and rely on undercover agents, surveillance, confidential informants, and cooperating defendants.

What is the ICE?

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), primarily responsible for enforcing federal immigration and customs laws. Its powers include investigating, apprehending, arresting, detaining, and removing aliens within the United States.

What is ICE raid?

company; an arrest of an undocumented immigrant or human rights abuser within the U.S.; the detention of a criminal immigrant following release from prison; or the denial of a U.S. visa to a terrorist, an ICE operation was likely behind it or involved in it.

How many people does ICE employ?

Headquartered in Washington, DC, ICE currently employs more than 20,000 people in the United States and worldwide and has an annual budget (as of 2013) of close to $6 billion. After the FBI, it is the largest investigative agency in the federal government.

How many operating components does ICE have?

Other than its administrative functions, ICE has two principal operating components:

What is the ICE?

ICE’s major responsibilities center on the investigation and deportation of illegal aliens and the protection of America’s borders by obstructing the activities of crime rings, gangs, terrorists. It also protects intellectual property (IP) rights and maintains a number of task forces and cooperative efforts with local, state, federal and international agencies.

What is the pay grade for ICE?

Individuals working as ICE Agents begin at a pay grade that directly reflects their education and experience , although most new ICE agents begin at GS-5 which, as of 2012, was between $27,431 and $35,657.

How many employees does ICE have?

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a massive federal law enforcement agency with more than 20,000 employees and more than 400 offices worldwide. Organized under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, ICE is now part of the DHS’s layered approach to security, ...

What does it mean when an ICE agent says "police"?

If you were to see an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent today, that agent would probably be wearing a jacket or vest with the words “POLICE ICE” written in over-sized, all capital letters. If that ICE agent were to knock on someone’s door, that ICE agent wearing a jacket saying “POLICE ICE” could and may identify themselves as “police.” Most reasonable people would think an officer wearing a jacket saying “POLICE” who identifies themselves as “police” is in fact a police officer – but ICE agents are not police officers – they have just been permitted to say they are.

Why are ICE agents misrepresenting themselves as police?

The practice of ICE agents misrepresenting themselves as police only further reduces trust in law enforcement and makes immigrants less likely to reach out to local law enforcement to report crime, a much needed element of successful community policing.

What is the law that prohibits ICE agents from wearing clothing?

On April 6, 2017, Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) introduced H.R. 2073 to amend section 287 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit ICE agents and officers from wearing clothing or other items bearing the word “police.”.

What to do if an immigration agent stops you?

Thus, if you are stopped by an ICE agent, or an ICE agent knocks at your door, ask them if they have a warrant signed by a judge. If the ICE agent does not have a warrant signed by a Judge, you may refuse to open the door. An administrative warrant of removal from immigration authorities is not enough. If the ICE agent does have a warrant, say nothing further and contact a lawyer. If the ICE agent does not have a warrant, but forces themselves in, state that you do not consent, say nothing further, and contact a lawyer.

What happens if an ICE agent doesn't have a warrant?

If the ICE agent does not have a warrant signed by a Judge, you may refuse to open the door. An administrative warrant of removal from immigration authorities is not enough. If the ICE agent does have a warrant, say nothing further and contact a lawyer.

Is an ICE agent a police officer?

Most reasonable people would think an officer wearing a jacket saying “POLICE” who identifies themselves as “police” is in fact a police officer – but ICE agents are not police officers – they have just been permitted to say they are.

What is the purpose of ICE?

ICE’s purpose is both to investigate immigration crimes and to enforce immigration laws.

How many employees does ICE have?

ICE has been around only since 2003, though it has more than 20,000 employees in all 50 states and 47 foreign countries. The Nevada ICE office’s address and contact information are:

What is ICE in Nevada?

ICE agents in Nevada are authorized to enforce immigration laws and remove illegal aliens. In the current political climate with President Trump toughening illegal immigration policies, the frequency and scope of “ICE raids” on foreigners are increasing.

Does ICE arrest illegals?

Before Trump, ICE concentrated on detaining aliens who may pose a threat (like gang members). Now immigration agents can now devote their resources to arresting anyone in the U.S. illegally, even if they are otherwise law-abiding.

Who orchestrates ICE raids?

ICE raids are orchestrated by the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), which has the authority to identify, detain and apprehend removable aliens. Specifically, ERO’s policy is the following:

Does ICE take arrestees into custody?

Legally, local law enforcement agencies like Las Vegas Metro are not obligated to comply with ICE hold requests, but they almost always do. If ICE determines that the arrestee is actually a U.S. citizen or is not subject to deportation, the arrestee should be released. Otherwise, ICE takes the arrestee into custody and transfers him/her to Las Vegas immigration jail for further proceedings.

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Career Description, Duties, and Common Tasks

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ICE agents may either be involved with customs issues or immigration issues and may be assigned a variety of tasks in such areas as border patrol, human trafficking and child exploitation, cyber crimes, deportation, and intelligence gathering. Common tasks performed by ICE agents involve the deportation proce…
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Steps For Becoming An Ice Agent

  • Entry-level ICE agents typically must possess a bachelor’s degreeat a minimum. At least one year of graduate study is also required unless you received Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) in your undergraduate degree. Possession of a master’s degree can waive the required experience required for the GL-9 level. However, US veterans and those with significant experience in law en…
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Ice Agent Training

  • All newly hired ICE agents must complete two training courses: a five-week Spanish language training program and the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program. These programs help candidates gain a basic understanding of Spanish and incorporate skills training in physical fitness, first aid, firearms, and law enforcement driving maneuvers. Agents must pass a total of …
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Other Helpful Skills and Experience

  • Highly qualified candidates for ICE agent positions generally have law enforcement experience, are US military veterans or currently in the military, or have previously held a position of leadership in academia or in a professional setting. Candidates who are proficient in a second language also enjoy highly qualified status. However, candidates who do not possess one or several of those s…
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Possible Job Titles For This Career

  1. Deportation Officer
  2. Detention and Deportation Officer
  3. HIS Agent
  4. ICE Agent
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Ice Agent Salary and Outlook

  • O*NET OnLine, a data service from the US Department of Labor, reports that criminal investigators and special agents earn an average annual salary of $79,970.2 Criminal investigators and special agent positions, similar to ICE agents, are projected to grow at an average 5-9% rate through 2026.2 This growth will account for a projected 7,500 openings through 2026.2 Like many feder…
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Related Careers

  1. Criminal Investigator
  2. Intelligence Operations Specialist
  3. Intelligence Research Specialist
  4. Program Analyst
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Additional Resources