Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are tasked with keeping track of people who have immigrated to the United States from other countries. Some of their actions were called into question by former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and residents of the city remain divided on the topic.

Then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, sent a formal request to two representatives of ICE in 2020. The request stated that the New York Police Department “does not want ICE agents stating or implying that they represent the NYPD.” De Blasio’s letter cited a few instances in which ICE operatives are alleged to have referred to themselves as police officers, detectives, or members of a narcotics squad to gain entrance to homes and make immigration arrests. The letter stated that such acts undermine public perception of the NYPD and discourage criminal witnesses and victims from seeking out police for fear of being deported.  

ICE took the city to court after the de Blasio administration balked at immigration subpoenas it received from the government requesting information needed for deportation of a group of inmates. The city eventually released limited details about the inmates but dismissed the subpoenas as a political stunt.

Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), who reintroduced a bill in July of 2022 that would restrict ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) from wearing any clothing with the word “police.” Booker says that "Local law enforcement officers are here to protect and serve, not arrest and deport. It’s important we make that distinction clear.”

Those who agree with ICE agents maintain that they are not breaking the law, as they do not directly tell people that they are police officers, police detectives, or members of the NYPD. Impersonating a police officer is a crime in New York, and people in this group believe that ICE agents have not met the legal threshold for this offense.

People who disagree with ICE's tactics argue that agents led people to believe they were with the police, and thereby damaged the NYPD's reputation and ability to do their jobs. They say that their actions make victims and witness less likely to cooperate with police investigations because they fear being deported. 

The question up for debate: Should ICE employees be allowed to identify themselves as members of the local police department?