ICE Detention and Deportation Officer Conrad Agagan

Office of Detention and Removal (DRO)

Conrad Agagan knew early on that he wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement.

“From a very early age, I knew I wanted to be a law enforcement officer,” he says. “It’s my calling. People who know me would say that I am not a good bystander, because I always feel the need to get involved, and I am very comfortable in situations that others would probably consider very stressful. I like to be in the thick of things.”

As a Detention and Deportation Officer with ICE’s Office of Detention and Removal Operations (DRO), Agagan is “in the thick of things” every day helping to advance the agency’s mission of restoring integrity to the nation’s immigration system.

Agagan joined the U.S. Border Patrol in 1996, and he later served in a variety of capacities around the country with the legacy INS and now ICE. In April 2004, he took on his current assignment with DRO’s Air Transportation Unit (ATU), which coordinates the transport and removal of aliens from the United States via aircraft.

Agagan serves frequently on these flights as Flight Officer in Charge, which means he’s responsible for the overall operation of the removal flight. It’s a job that demands both law enforcement expertise – many of those removed have criminal records and histories of violence – as well as a measure of diplomatic skill, since he often finds himself working with law enforcement counterparts at every level in the United States and around the world.

It’s a critical component of ICE’s immigration enforcement mission, and Agagan is proud of the work that he and his team do to make American communities safer.

“I feel privileged to be a part of the federal law enforcement community, especially part of the Office of Detention and Removal,” Agagan said. “The men and women of DRO are among the most dedicated group of officers I have worked with. In spite of the long hours, many days or weeks of travel, and the toll it can take on a family, DRO officers still continue to carry on with the mission.”