WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The union representing employees at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) staged a picket at ICE headquarters after filing allegations with the agency's Office of Inspector General demanding an investigation into the culture of discrimination, gross-mismanagement, and harassment that pervades the agency's leadership.

"We've begged ICE leadership to intervene but they refuse to clean up the agency," said Felix Luciano, a local president of the union in San Diego. "If you're a pregnant female, a veteran, a union representative, or person of color, you're a target of ICE managers."

Luciano said that, in San Diego alone, ICE employees have filed 18 separate discrimination suits against ICE and Department of Homeland Security supervisors. But the problems are wide-spread. Luciano is one of dozens of union members leading the protest in front of ICE Headquarters in Washington, D.C. today.

"Union and non-union employees agree: ICE is a horrific place to work," said Chris Crane, National President of the union representing ICE employees. The Office of Personnel Management's annual survey of federal employees ranked the agency third-worst in employee morale for all of government.

"Mission readiness falls apart when leadership fails, and morale hits rock bottom," Crane said. "Discrimination, harassment and retaliation are a part of everyday life for ICE employees. Our managers act more like thugs than public servants entrusted to manage ICE's critical public safety and national security missions."