How did we get to ICE?

In the history section on ICE’s website, one line reads: “Despite U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s relatively young age, its functional history predates the modern birth of the agency by more than 200 years.” That phrasing of “functional history” stands out. We know that ICE was created in 2003. So what exactly do they mean by that? To unpack this claim, Vox producer Nate Krieger examines the history of immigration enforcement in the US. 

The story of American immigration is one of gradual change.