The ongoing campaign to rid this country of criminal gang members and other foreigners who have violated their stay have suddenly pushed a relatively new law enforcement agency to the forefront of public notice.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was created in March 2003 as a key component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) "layered defense" of protecting public safety by targeting the people, money and materials that support terrorism and other criminal activities. It seeks to identify criminal activities and eliminate vulnerabilities that pose a threat to this nation's borders, as well as enforce economic, transportation and infrastructure security.

ICE is the largest investigative branch of DHS, which was formed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, by combining the law enforcement arms of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service and the former U.S. Customs Service. It also includes the resources, responsibilities and authorities of the Federal Protective Service to more effectively enforce immigration and customs laws and to protect the United States against terrorist attacks.

Robert Schoch, special agent in charge of ICE-Los Angeles, said that his office is responsible for enforcing and arresting violators of US immigration and customs laws in the seven counties of Southern California and the four counties of Nevada encompassing a total of 20 million people.

ICE-LA officials met with members of the media during a roundtable and presentations to highlight the various facets of the agency as well as to educate the public on how ICE works.

Others present during the event included Virginia Kice and Lori Haley of ICE's Western Region Communications; Kevin Kozak, deputy special agent in charge; Steven Lovett and Frank Johnson, asst. special agents in charge; Brian DeMore, deputy director for Office of Detention and Removal Operations (DRO); Leonard Desanti, DRO assistant director; Norma Bonales-Garibay, DRO deputy director; and Jorge Fields, DRO supervisory detention and deportation officer. The event was facilitated by the Chinatown Public Safety Association headed by David Gee, president.

DeMore and Fields provided breakdowns of nationalities represented in the removals from the US since October 1, last year, for various deportable offenses. However, DeMore cautioned that the figures were not to be taken as an accurate gauge of the actual number of offenders from each country. There are other factors to be considered such as the fact that some countries make it difficult to secure the necessary travel papers of prospective deportees while others do not accept the return of citizens at all, he said. Those that could not be deported are later released from detention and placed under close supervision.