ICE created inside DHS inherits INS detention contracts, accelerating the expansion of private immigration detention

Immigration and Customs Enforcement was created on March 1, 2003 inside the Department of Homeland Security, absorbing the enforcement functions of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and inheriting all existing private detention contracts with CCA and Wackenhut. ICE's creation elevated immigration enforcement from an administrative function to a national security mission, providing political cover for rapid expansion of detention capacity through private contractors. Within five years of ICE's creation, the number of immigration detainees in private facilities doubled.