What it has not faced is a presidency that has transformed a federal law-enforcement agency into a potential instrument of political power. During Donald Trump’s second term as president, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) risks becoming just that. AdvertisementAmerica has long struggled with illegal immigration, with estimates suggesting up to 14 million people living in the country without legal status. Even critics must admit that, at a macro level, Trump’s approach to illegal immigration has been a success. Trump’s promise of mass deportations required mass recruitment – in one year, the agency more than doubled its officers and agents from 10,000 to 22,000.