ICE honors fallen law enforcement officers ahead of National Police Week 2016
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leaders, personnel and invited guests paid solemn tribute to their fallen comrades May 12 in a ceremony at ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The ICE Valor Memorial and Wreath Laying Ceremony is an annual event in conjunction with National Police Week, and serves to honor those employees who have lost their lives in pursuit of ICE’s mission.
ICE Director Sarah R. Saldaña underscored the importance of stopping to reflect on those who have made the ultimate sacrifice during her opening remarks at the ceremony.
“We gather to honor our fallen and to provide comfort to their families,” she said. “Their service is so large that it cannot ever be repaid.”
She also described the ICE mission as “difficult, dangerous, and often thankless work,” and emphasized the courage and dedication of those called upon to perform it.
DHS Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas offered his personal reflections of growing up in another country, at a time when those who wore the badge were not always dedicated to the ideals of law enforcement. He offered that it was not until much later, after his family had migrated to the United States, that he saw firsthand how law enforcement is supposed to work. This awakening instilled within him a sense of respect, which ultimately led to his management position within DHS.
The ICE Color Guard started the service with a presentation of the colors. Jeremy Malloy, a staff assistant with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), performed a memorable rendition of the national anthem, having also done so the day before at the ICE Directors Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Chaplain Glenn Torres led the invocation, asking those in attendance to always remember the courage and self-sacrifice of those being honored.
Following their remarks, ICE volunteers conducted a roll call for the fallen. Participants placed a rose for each of the fallen officers beneath the ceremonial wreath, which would later be placed at the ICE Memorial Wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Beginning with legacy U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, 50 special agents have given their lives in dedication to service. The most recent fallen law enforcement officer was ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Jeremy S. McGuire in January 2016, who died in the line of duty in Miami, Florida, in January. His name will be added to the ICE Memorial Wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Updated: