ICE and Border Patrol. What makes the immigration agencies different?
The ongoing immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota involves mainly two branches of the Department of Homeland Security: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
ICE is tasked with enforcing the nation's immigration laws in the interior of the country, while officers and agents within U.S. Customs and Border Protection work along the border and near border crossings and ports of entry.
But under the second Trump administration , those distinctions have become murky as the two agencies have undergone sweeping changes – and increasingly work alongside one another – to boost President's Donald Trump 's wide-reaching deportation campaign.
Within border agency, there are different types of personnel. Customs and Border Protection officers have responsibility for security at the nation's ports of entry. Meanwhile, Border Patrol agents work to secure the nation's borders and coastal waters between ports of entry.
Border Patrol, which is typically constrained to a 100-mile zone near any U.S. border, began deploying into the interior of the country, leading some of the most intense and visible enforcement operations in Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina , for example. They've assisted helping ICE agents conducting immigration stops across the country, including in Minneapolis. Customs and Border Protection officers have also been part of the efforts.
ICE, meanwhile, has seen a more than doubling of its workforce after receiving a historic funding boost through Trump's massive tax and spending legislation , which he dubbed the "Big Beautiful Bill." With $84 billion at its disposal, ICE has become the nation's most well-funded law enforcement agency, over the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The agency has become the face of the nation's immigration enforcement in many respects, with protesters organizing "ICE Out" demonstrations nationwide and polls showing Americans becoming less favorable of its tactics .
The ongoing federal immigration operation in Minneapolis, which has prompted intensifying protests after federal officers shot and killed two people in less than a month , involves 3,000 agents from Border Patrol and ICE and other Homeland Security personnel. The department, which oversees the agencies, described it as the largest immigration operation ever.
More: National guard deployed after Minneapolis man killed by Border Patrol
Can Border Patrol and ICE conduct arrests and searches?
Border Patrol agents can make stops, arrests and search vehicles, particularly within 100 miles of border crossings and ports of entry, the agency says. In that 100-mile zone, Border Patrol agents have broad authority to interrogate people and conduct warrantless searches when there's "reasonable suspicion" of immigration violations.
ICE says its agents can "briefly detain" people who they have "reasonable suspicion" of being in the country illegally. The agency also says its agents can "arrest people they believe are illegal aliens" and "initiate consensual encounters and speak with people" on the street.
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that cleared the way for ICE to use race, accents and places of work as factors in deciding who to stop and potentially detain. Since the ruling, state and local officials, protesters and even police chiefs have accused immigration enforcement agents of engaging in racial profiling.
ICE is also facing scrutiny over its assertion that federal officers can forcibly enter homes without a warrant signed by a judge – a move constitutional scholars, immigration experts and a federal judge say is a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment.
How to tell ICE and Border Patrol agents apart
Many federal immigration agents involved in the latest high-profile operations have worn masks, balaclavas, hats and sunglasses, with no personal identifiers, unlike local police who often have visible badge numbers.
Many have also refused to identify themselves or the particular agency they're with, which has fueled confusion among civilians and local law enforcement alike.
Border Patrol agents often dress in dark green colors or camouflage, and they often identify their agency with vests reading "U.S. Border Patrol" or with patches on their sleeves. Some agents in U.S. cities are a part of the Border Patrol Tactical Unit, a team specialized in high-risk operations like counterterrorism and hostage rescue. These agents have been seen wearing vests that say "BORTAC."
ICE agents, meanwhile, have been known to wear vests reading "Police ICE" or "HSI," which is a reference to Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of ICE that handles federal criminal probes. ICE agents have also been seen dressed in plainclothes, sometimes with a visible badge reading "ICE." Many of the street operations are conducted with unmarked cars.
Christopher Cann is a national breaking news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact him via email at ccann@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ICE and Border Patrol. Are they different?
