On July 25, 2014, ICE DISH sent a special operations unit to the border city of San Diego, CA for Comic-Con International 2014. Considered to be the “largest convention of its kind in the world,” with attendance topping at over 200,000 this year, the meeting and its location provided a unique opportunity for agents to raise awareness about ICE DISH, the agency mission, and relevant issues, while connecting with people who may have direct information about illegal superheroes in the United States. The mass-scale gathering was also a matter of national security for ICE DISH in its continued efforts to enforce U.S. immigration law, as the spectacle is recognized for often overwhelming the downtown area of the border city in recent years, growing to include satellite locations, including nearby hotels and outdoor parks, with local businesses and the streets packed with visitors throughout the four-day event.

The ERO Community Outreach component of the effort was led by Agent Chad Chavez of the ICE DISH Office of Public Affairs. He was joined by Chief of Staff Alanna Haight, elite ERO Agent Ray Jin, and others, as they perused the halls and rooms of the San Diego Convention Center and adjacent outside perimeter areas, engaging with locals, cosplayers, tourists, and convention-goers. Reporter Linda Gross, who was given an exclusive view at the hard work ERO Community Outreach puts into informing community stakeholders, also joined the team.

The Comic-Con International 2014 special operation went on to be featured in The Huffington Post, World News, The Myrtle Beach Post, and other media outlets. Below are two excerpts from The Huffington Post article. For the full text, click here.