Immigration Enforcement Organization Launches to Fight the Vilification of ICE's Mission and its Agents

National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) to advocate for strong interior immigration enforcement, rule of law

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE), a new nonprofit organization, launched today to advocate for the proper enforcement of immigration laws in the interior of the United States – a practice that is critical to national security, public safety, and the rule of law.

Founded by RJ Hauman, an immigration reform expert with over a decade of experience in immigration policy and lobbying Congress, the organization will seek to return U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the enforcement agency it was originally meant to be. NICE advisory board members include former USCIS Acting Director Joseph Edlow, retired senior ICE Field Office Director John Fabbricatore, former DHS official and Director of The Heritage Foundation Oversight Project Mike Howell, and Chris Russo, President of Texans for Strong Borders. The organization will also join an influential coalition that was formed in part by Hauman and Howell in 2022, becoming a driving force behind House passage of the strongest border security and immigration enforcement bill in American history.

NICE's policy priorities include the following:

• Remove immigration law violators
• Punish repeat offenders
• End catch-and-release
• Promote cooperation with state and local law enforcement
• End sanctuary cities
• More enforcement resources
• Mandatory E-Verify

RJ Hauman, President of NICE, said: "Congressionally mandated enforcement of immigration laws in the interior of the United States is critical to national security and public safety. Instead, the Biden Administration has directed the very agency in charge of enforcing our immigration laws to willfully violate them. This has triggered a historic border crisis while inflicting immeasurable harm on the American people, our communities, and the very fabric of our nation. When fully operational and acting in accordance with Federal law, ICE makes America safer and more secure. Instead, political forces here in Washington have hijacked ICE and continue to prevent its brave men and women from enforcing our laws and defending our country — precisely what the agency was created to do. The entire goal of NICE is to help return ICE to the enforcement agency it was meant to be."

Joseph Edlow, an advisory board member who served as acting director of USCIS and in a legal role at ICE, said: "While border security is critical, we can no longer afford to ignore larger immigration enforcement issues. The first 48 hours of a border encounter transforms into years of unlawful presence, court delays, and unexecuted removal orders.  The Biden Administration's non-enforcement policies and their prosecutorial discretion efforts undermine both the rule of law and our values as a sovereign nation – all as part of an effort to erode this country's lawful immigration system. As a former ICE trial attorney, I have seen first-hand the results of when policy is not aligned with the law. We must usher in a return to the integrity of the laws and push back against the vilification of ICE's mission and its agents.  By focusing on interior enforcement, NICE will add a narrative to the immigration debate that is largely ignored, and will seek to ensure that the American people can rely on justice, protection, and fairness in the immigration system."

John Fabbricatore, an advisory board member and retired senior ICE Field Office Director, said: "In my 24 years of immigration law enforcement as a field officer, and later leadership, the one foundation that never changed, was the commitment of the men and women of ICE to protect their communities and the entire nation. While politicians with questionable priorities created hot button issues around the immigration process, those of us in immigration enforcement continued to respond daily to illegal immigration, human smuggling, sex and drug trafficking, gang violence, and many other crimes. With what is happening at the border and gutting of enforcement in the interior of the country, it is time to strengthen our resolve and enforce the law as it is written. The citizens of this country deserve it and the lingering excuses for inaction are no longer acceptable."

Mike Howell, an advisory board member and former DHS official who currently leads The Heritage Foundation's investigations arm, said: "This country is going to need a significant number of deportations to restore the rule of law, especially due to the Biden Administration purposefully opening our borders to chaos. The deportation effort must keep pace with advancements in technology to achieve such a herculean but necessary effort. I believe that with the right institutional support and creativity, we can bring together some of the greatest patriotic minds to help achieve this critical function."

Chris Russo, an advisory board member and President of Texans for Strong Borders, said: "Because of the failures of border security under President Biden and the failure of border states to forge an effective response, pivoting to true interior enforcement is key to blunting the impact of this crisis. Simply put, a record number of illegal aliens are entering our country, and without a concerted effort to remove them in accordance with the law, that is a massive cohort that will burden our institutions and infrastructure and be the subject of future mass-amnesty proposals for the purposes of political transformation. With ICE deportation numbers tanking, those of us concerned about the impacts of illegal immigration into our communities cannot afford to wait a moment longer to act."

For additional information, visit https://www.immigrationcenterforenforcement.org/.

SOURCE National Immigration Center for Enforcement