James Hayes
James Hayes 
Age: 39
Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York.
Where you live: Monmouth County, New Jersey.
Job Description: As the Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations office in New York, NY, I’m responsible for leading and coordinating a wide variety of criminal investigations aimed at disrupting and dismantling criminal organizations whose activities threaten the nation’s national security and public safety.
Why I chose this career: My family has a long, proud history of law enforcement officers. My grandfather was an Inspector for the United States Customs Service, my father has been an Inspector and Officer with the Immigration and Naturalization Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for 46 years, and my uncle is a retired New York City Police Department Detective and current employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The examples my family role models set for me led me to want to emulate them and continue the family tradition.
The proudest moment of my career: I’ve been very lucky to have had a very interesting career and I can think of several moments that made me proud of the work that my agency does. Recently, we completed a series of major investigations with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and Cy Vance, the Manhattan District Attorney, called me to thank me for the work that we had done. That really made me very proud and appreciative of the impact that my office has in making New York City a safer place.
I celebrate my Irish heritage by: My mother was born in Tipperary and was an avid listener to Irish music. When I was younger, I didn’t appreciate it; but as I’ve gotten older, I find myself enjoying many of the same songs and artists she introduced my sister and me to throughout our childhood.
Biography
James T. Hayes, Jr. is the special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations office in New York City. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Hayes served in a number of executive leadership positions for ICE, including the Director of ICE’s Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Assistant Director for ERO Field Operations, and ERO Field Office Director for Los Angeles. Mr. Hayes began his career as a border patrol agent in Del Rio, Texas, and subsequently served as a deportation officer in Los Angeles, and a special agent in Orange County, Calif. Mr. Hayes’ prior managerial experience includes assignments as the section chief of ICE’s National Security Unit and acting unit chief of ICE’s National Security Unit and Contraband Smuggling Unit. Mr. Hayes is a 1992 graduate of Xavier High School in New York and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Park University. He is a member of the federal government’s Senior Executive Service.