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In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) focused on making the safety and support of ICE personnel in the region a top priority.
"The cohesiveness of our ICE HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) staff in New York and throughout the country to provide assistance to employees in need has been really incredible to see," said James T. Hayes Jr., special agent in charge for HSI New York. "The response to this crisis, from within all of ICE, has been incredibly inspiring."
More than 100 special agent volunteers with HSI New York have united with members of HSI New York's special response team (SRT) and rapid response team (RRT) to help those in need. SRTs and RRTs from other offices including HSI Boston and HSI Tampa, as well as personnel from ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), have joined recovery efforts, demonstrating that in the face of tragedy, ICE works and stands as one force. While multiple teams continue to operate in the hurricane-ravaged area, help was being provided well before their arrival.
"Support efforts were actually taking place on the day of the storm," said Anthony Scandiffio, deputy special agent in charge (DSAC) for HSI New York. "During the hurricane, trees blocked many roadways, electrical wires were down all over the place, and many streets were flooded with water. As a result, we had SRT members trying to reach affected agents in order to rescue them from rising water levels in their homes. We also had ASACs (assistant special agents in charge) driving to relocate agents and their families during the height of the storm."
Weather conditions eventually became so severe that in one case a special agent actually had to swim from his home to safety. Immediately following Sandy's passing, various teams went to check on storm victims. Team members spent hours pumping water out of homes, removing fallen trees and water-logged furniture, issuing generators, and helping to board up homes. In addition to taking care of damaged property, special agents also took care of families, as they delivered food and water to ICE personnel. HSI New York SRT members initiated a food and clothing drive which resulted in the collection of approximately 50 large bags of food, clothing and blankets, which were delivered to a distribution center in Long Beach, N.Y.
"We tried to assist our agents and support staff as much as possible to make this ordeal a little easier on them and their families," said Scandiffio. "SRT and RRT members did welfare checks for two weeks straight on everyone we provided assistance to. SRT members would visit homes at night to see how agents and their families were doing, and to provide them with gas for their generators. They also provided protection for these homes from looting that was taking place in the Rockaways and other places."
In many areas, the HSI New York SRT utilized its Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle (MRAP) to pull destroyed government vehicles onto the street so they could be towed out of the area. Additionally, members from U.S. Customs and Border Protection offices in the region helped to transport generators and other supplies, including twenty-two generators sent by HSI Miami, as well as power strips, extension cords and five-gallon gas containers sent by HSI Philadelphia. ERO personnel also set up a mobile command center to facilitate teams' movements to those who were most in need.
"The willingness of our fellow employees from around the country and from all levels at ICE headquarters, to not only come and help, but to leave their equipment for us to use, says a lot about the strength and culture of this agency moving forward," said Hayes.
Just a few miles away in New Jersey, leadership from HSI and ERO Newark also worked together to ensure that all ICE personnel in the area were taken care of and that ICE's presence there went on uninterrupted in support of the community.
HSI Newark's RRT responded to help account for employees and conduct welfare checks. Employees not only supported each other but provided law enforcement support to the federal, state and local first responders directly engaged in assisting the millions of people who needed help.
"I was heartened and impressed by the resilience and dedication shown by officers and agents following the devastating storm that New Jersey experienced," said John Tsoukaris, field office director for ERO Newark. "Under very challenging conditions, ERO employees continued to ensure the safety and security of our detainees, as well as ICE's public safety mission. Many employees operated out of offices with no power or heat for several days and did a remarkable job in making the field office operational within a very short timeframe. They did this even as they were going through significant challenges in their personal lives with their families, many of which were struggling without power and other basic amenities."
In the wake of one of the worst storms to ever hit the northeastern seaboard, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Rapid Response Teams have been doing their part to assist in Hurricane Sandy's aftermath.
As part of the massive recovery efforts, 40 members from the HSI Atlanta and HSI Tampa's Rapid Response Teams deployed to HSI Newark, where they responded to a local call for assistance to check on a pregnant, Hoboken, N.J., woman.
"Our team members are ready to go at a moment's notice," said Special Agent Shawn Meehan, program manager for ICE's Rapid Response Teams. "The teams not only provide disaster relief services to ICE employees and protect ICE facilities, they also assist with general law enforcement and respond to emergency calls like this one."
In addition to being ready to respond to local emergency calls, the Tampa, Atlanta, Newark, New York and Boston teams have been making sure that missing ICE employees are secure and accounted for. The Atlanta team was also responsible for ensuring perimeter security of its local HSI office building.
Members of these teams know there is still much work left to do; and nearly 105 members from the Boston, New York and Newark, Atlanta and Tampa teams are fully ready to deploy in and around their respective areas – helping with any and all recovery efforts.
ICE currently has 15 Rapid Response Teams; all of which are operational 24/7 and prepared to deploy to an affected area within 12 to 24 hours. The teams all share the same mission – to rapidly deploy during natural and manmade disasters, as well as emergency situations, when other federal, state or local government agencies request ICE assistance. Their training includes a weeklong program where they receive instruction on disaster response and deploy to the field as they would for a real disaster response scenario. Throughout the training, members are exposed to a variety of adverse conditions that are designed to promote team building and reinforce the need for the team to function as a cohesive unit.
"I'm glad we were able to respond in a fast and efficient manner," said Meehan. "That's what we train for. That's what our end goal always is."
As Hurricane Isaac's fury swept the Gulf Coast states, many Slidell, La., residents found themselves trapped in their flooded homes without any electrical power or cell phone service.
With flood waters reaching as high as 48 inches in some areas, the city's ambulances, fire engines and police cars were unable to navigate the flooded streets to reach these helpless residents.
That's when the St. Tammany Parish Emergency Operations Center turned to the Rapid Response Team from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans.
"The sheer volume of medical assistance calls and calls involving high-water evacuations throughout the city and parish were mounting," said William Black, HSI New Orleans supervisory special agent and Rapid Response Team mission coordinator. "The only way to reach many of the residences was with a high-water vehicle."
HSI New Orleans routinely works with both the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office and the Louisiana State Police, so both agencies knew that HSI New Orleans' Rapid Response Team was their solution. One of 15 ICE Rapid Response Teams, their primary mission is to rapidly deploy during natural and manmade disasters, as well as emergency situations, when other federal, local or state agencies request ICE assistance.
HSI New Orleans is equipped with a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle that its Special Response Team and Rapid Response Team can deploy during emergencies. Weighing in at 30,000 pounds and standing approximately nine feet tall, this heavy-duty vehicle is well suited for emergency high-water rescue operations.
Within minutes of receiving the request, the team jumped into action. Forging through the water-logged streets of Eden Isles, which is located on Lake Pontchartrain's north shore and is an area of town prone to flooding, they rescued 12 individuals who could not evacuate their homes. After approximately five hours of combating the rainfall and storm surge, the flood waters rose above a safe operating level, and the team was forced to call off the day's rescue operations.
The next day, the parish called on the team to rescue two additional stranded individuals.
"The team members are professional special agents who volunteer to be a part of the Rapid Response Team," said Black. "When it's time to act, we act without hesitation."
ICE's Rapid Response Teams are operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are always prepared to deploy to an affected area within 12 to 24 hours.
