Fact Check: "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was created after the September 11 attacks."
What We Know
The claim that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was created after the September 11 attacks is misleading. ICE was officially established on March 1, 2003, as part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which was created in response to the 9/11 attacks. However, the roots of ICE can be traced back to earlier agencies, particularly the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and the U.S. Customs Service, which existed long before the attacks (Archived: History of ICE, History of ICE).
The urgency to reform immigration policies and practices was indeed heightened by the events of September 11, 2001, leading to significant changes in how immigration enforcement was approached (Post-9/11). However, the actual formation of ICE as a distinct agency occurred two years later, in 2003, as part of a broader reorganization of federal agencies aimed at enhancing national security (Creation of the Department of Homeland Security).
Analysis
The assertion that ICE was created after the September 11 attacks conflates the timing of the agency's establishment with the motivations behind its creation. While the attacks did catalyze a reevaluation of immigration policies and enforcement strategies, ICE itself was not formed until March 2003, well after the attacks (History of ICE).
The sources used to support the claim do not accurately reflect the timeline. For instance, while the Post-9/11 source discusses the increased urgency in immigration policy following the attacks, it does not state that ICE was created at that time. Instead, it highlights the changes that led to the eventual establishment of ICE. Furthermore, the September 11 Chronology provides context about the events leading up to the attacks but does not mention the creation of ICE.
In evaluating the reliability of the sources, the information from government websites such as the DHS and ICE is generally credible and authoritative. However, the interpretation of the timeline in the claim lacks nuance and fails to acknowledge the historical context of immigration enforcement prior to 9/11.
Conclusion
Verdict: False. The claim that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was created after the September 11 attacks is misleading. While the agency was established in response to the heightened focus on national security following the attacks, it was not created until March 2003, two years later. The roots of ICE lie in earlier immigration and customs enforcement agencies that existed long before 9/11.
