In furtherance of the ICE mission, the General and Administrative Law attorneys support a diverse portfolio of ICE-wide general law programs as well as OPLA-wide mission and program support. The General and Administrative Law component covers a broad legal portfolio and comprises several specialized divisions, described below.

Commercial and Administrative Law Division (CALD)

The CALD attorneys provide legal services in the areas of debt collection (including immigration surety bond debts and worksite enforcement fines), procurement, fiscal, administrative and environmental law. They advise ICE operational components and represent ICE in litigation in federal courts and before the General Accountability Office, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals and various administrative bodies.

Government Information Law Division (GILD)

The GILD attorneys advise all ICE program offices on matters relating to the disclosure of agency information within DHS and to external entities. Their work includes the legal review of international agreements, such as Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties, Customs Mutual Assistance Agreements and Letters of Intent with foreign governments. They also adjudicate all administrative appeals under the Freedom of Information Act and assist U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the defense of information-related litigation filed against ICE.

ICE Ethics Office

The ICE Ethics Office provides advice, guidance and training on the ethical standards that apply to every ICE employee. Its attorneys are responsible for establishing, maintaining and carrying out the ICE ethics program, which includes collecting, reviewing and certifying financial disclosure reports, providing ethics advice on the standards of conduct and executing a robust employee ethics education program.In addition to these duties, the ICE Ethics Office serves as the ICE point of contact for attorney professional responsibility complaints and oversees the Administrative Inquiry and Management Referral program for attorney misconduct cases.

Labor and Employment Law Division (LELD)

LELD serves the agency by fostering compliance with federal personnel law, representing the agency in employment and labor-related litigation, and providing advice and guidance to ICE supervisors and managers on a variety of topics relating to personnel management. LELD’s attorneys represent ICE in litigation before the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and work with the Department of Justice to defend ICE against various federal lawsuits including Title VII, the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Rehabilitation Act. LELD trains ICE managers and supervisors on ways to ensure that ICE is a discrimination- and harassment-free workplace where employees can succeed.