Staff Reports
The Biden administration is making changes to the U.S. government’s immigration law enforcement agency, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). They want HSI to be known for more than just immigration cases. HSI will continue to be part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which deals with deportations, but they want to focus on their broader investigative work, such as drugs, gangs, human trafficking, terrorism, and counterfeit goods.
To reflect this change, HSI has a new website, HSI.gov, which is now separate from ICE’s website. The head of HSI, Katrina W. Berger, said the new website shows HSI’s commitment to fighting global threats and protecting American lives.
ICE attempts a rebrand designed to win over sanctuary citieshttps://t.co/qVEwFUUXUh pic.twitter.com/jNIPZoVomf
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) April 24, 2024
Some HSI agents have wanted to completely separate from ICE, but this would require Congress to change the law that created HSI as part of ICE after the 2001 terrorist attacks. Agents say sanctuary cities don’t want to work with HSI because they don’t want to be associated with ICE’s deportation activities.
The head of ICE’s deportation side, ERO, expressed some dissatisfaction with the rebrand, and some ICE employees feel that HSI is still figuring out its role. Criticism of ICE has grown in recent years, with some politicians calling for the agency to be defunded and comparing it to the Ku Klux Klan.
Some people believe that rebranding HSI will not improve cooperation with sanctuary cities, as they are aware that HSI is still part of ICE and has the authority to enforce immigration laws. Additionally, HSI’s new website downplays its immigration work and focuses on other criminal investigations they handle.
Overall, this change to HSI reflects the Biden administration’s efforts to redefine the agency’s image and focus on its broader investigative work beyond immigration cases.
