What does the current U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent badge look like?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
The visible ICE agent badge most commonly seen in public reporting is a gold-colored law‑enforcement style badge that incorporates the Department of Homeland Security eagle/seal and some form of the agency name — presented either as a full “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement” legend or the short form “ICE” — but exact shape, wording and variant depend on the component (HSI vs. ERO) and whether the item is a formal credential, a lapel pin, or a commercial replica [1] [2] [3].
1. What reporters and stock photos show: a gold, shield‑style badge with the DHS eagle
Photographs used by news outlets and photo services depicting ICE in courts and field operations routinely show a metallic, gold‑colored badge carried or worn by agents; these images often include the familiar DHS eagle/seal as part of the device and sometimes show “ICE” prominently rather than smaller, longer text (Getty Images collections and news photos) [3] [1].
2. The emblem and text: DHS eagle plus ICE or full agency name, not a single universal design
Public descriptions and merchandising detail that the “ICE emblem” features the U.S. Department of Homeland Security eagle/seal and that badges or patches can display either “ICE” or the full agency wording depending on usage — vest patches in black‑and‑white and metal badges in gold are both reported in practice, underscoring there is not one single image for every situation [1] [2].
3. Division differences: HSI special agents vs. ERO officers
Sources that catalog insignia and badge variants note that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers use different identification devices appropriate to their roles — guides and badge suppliers list separate badges for HSI (investigative special‑agent badges) and for ERO/detention officers — meaning the silhouette, wording and security features can differ between components [2] [4].
4. Commercial replicas, pins and plaques complicate identification
A thriving market for souvenir and commemorative versions of the “ICE badge” — from lapel pins and wooden plaques to stickers and posters — means images encountered online or sold at retailers are often replicas or stylized art rather than the federal credential itself; vendors explicitly market decorative badges and pins, and third‑party sites display ICE art and merchandise that are visually similar to the official insignia but are not proof of an agent’s identity [5] [6] [7] [8].
5. Why the exact look matters politically and legally
Concerns about agents not clearly identifying themselves have driven legislative responses — for example, a 2025 congressional bill proposed to require ICE agents to clearly display badges and agency affiliation during enforcement, a response to reports that some operations left the public unsure which federal actors were present — which illustrates why clarity about what an “ICE badge” looks like has real policy implications [9].
6. What reporting does not establish and where uncertainty remains
Available reporting and vendor material show the common elements (gold metal, DHS eagle/seal, ICE or full agency wording, and division variants) but do not publish a single, legally mandated photographic standard for every ICE credential in circulation; absent a posted, authoritative Department of Homeland Security badge‑catalog image in the supplied sources, precision on minute differences (exact shield shape, wording placement, serial numbering format) cannot be confirmed here from the documents provided [2] [1].