ICE's top 5 news stories for the week ending Jan. 21, 2011
Jan. 21, 2011 - ICE returns stolen Degas painting missing for 37 years to French government
In 1973, a Degas painting titled "Blanchisseuses Souffrant Des Dents" disappeared from the Musée Malraux in Le Havre in Normandy, France. It turned up 37 years later in a Sotheby's New York catalogue for a pending auction. Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Morton returned the painting to the acting French ambassador to the United States.
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Jan. 20, 2011 - ICE & Tyson Foods partner in an effort to protect the nation's lawful workforce
Tyson Foods, Inc. became the newest member of the IMAGE Program (ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers). IMAGE is a voluntary program that allows companies to maintain an authorized workforce. Tyson Foods audited its hiring practices and participated in the federal government's E-Verify program to qualify for the program.
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Jan. 20, 2011 - ICE arrests 5 criminal sex offenders in Houston
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers conducted an operation targeting convicted criminal aliens in the Houston area. The officers arrested five individuals who were in the United States illegally and had previously been convicted of crimes ranging from sexually assaulting a child to possessing child pornography.
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Jan. 19, 2011 - Connecticut man admits to illegally purchasing and possessing body armor
ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents participated in an investigation that led to the arrest of Waheed Islam. Islam illegally purchased body armor designed to withstand gunfire from a 9 mm pistol. He had previously been convicted of multiple felony counts of violence, including first degree assault and robbery.
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Jan. 19, 2011 - Maryland man sentenced to nearly 2 years in prison for possession of child pornography
ICE HSI agents executed a search warrant at Paul Gary Pinkston's residence after an investigation revealed that he subscribed to a fee-based child pornography website. Pinkston had 29 videos and 53 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his computer. The investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators.
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About ICE
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government. Created in 2003 through a merger of the investigative and interior enforcement elements of the U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, ICE now has more than 20,000 employees in more than 400 offices in the United States and 46 foreign countries.
ICE's primary mission is to promote homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration. The agency has an annual budget of more than $5.7 billion dollars, primarily devoted to its two principal operating components - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
ICE Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2010-2014
In June 2010, ICE issued its strategic plan for Fiscal Years 2010-2014. This comprehensive plan lays out how ICE will most effectively meet its responsibilities for criminal investigation and civil immigration enforcement over the next five years. Moreover, ICE is taking steps to streamline and improve its management structure to give the agency a clearer sense of identity and focus.
The plan details four key priorities for the agency's future:
- Prevent terrorism and enhance security
- Protect the borders against illicit trade, travel and finance
- Protect the borders through smart and tough interior immigration enforcement
- Construct an efficient, effective agency
For more information, the full strategic plan is available for download. (pdf file)
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