In assuming  the responsibility for immigration enforcement and services, DHS inherits  many of these management challenges. Overall, most field officials we contacted who responded to this question  in CBP, CIS, and ICE characterized communication and coordination  among their programs as good or excellent. Many SAC officials  with whom we spoke also noted that several important steps to fully  integrate former INS and Customs investigators remain to be taken. Lack of Uniform Policies and Procedures for Some Operations Reportedly Causes Confusion and Hinders the Creation of a New Culture

Some officials told us that ICE has been slow to establish uniform  operational policies and procedures, causing confusion and some delay in  the creation of a new unified ICE culture. Additionally, officials in all three agencies cited problems with  administrative computer systems for travel, budget, and payroll— administrative functions that are handled by the individual bureaus and  are not a part of shared services. Some officials we contacted in  CBP, CIS, and ICE said they had to use mission staff in this way because  they did not have enough administrative support to compensate for the  realignment of administrative staff to shared services, the addition of  mission personnel that have come as a result of mergers of some programs  in the transition, and hiring freezes. In this regard, we and others have studied  the experiences of other public and private organizations that have  undergone successful mergers and transformations. Establish a Communication Strategy to Create Shared Expectations and Report Related Progress

Creating an effective, ongoing communication strategy is essential to  implementing a merger or transformation. To accomplish this, DHS’s three immigration  bureaus are tasked with establishing clear communication and  coordination among one another and with the efficient and effective  integration of the roles and responsibilities of the former immigration and  customs investigative workforces, all while implementing a new system  for providing administrative services. The  sentiment among the field officials within CBP, CIS, and ICE we contacted  demonstrates the importance of them having additional explanation and  guidance from DHS and the headquarters management of each of the  respective bureaus that delineates the (1) specific roles and  responsibilities for conducting uniform immigration program operations,  such as benefit fraud investigations, parole decisions, and controlled  deliveries and (2) processes and procedures for making the shared  services system work more efficiently. 477(d)(1)—mandated us  to review the transfer of functions from the Immigration and  Naturalization Service (INS) to the Department of Homeland Security  (DHS) and identify issues associated with the transition. Our overall  objectives were to assess the status of (1) communication and  coordination among immigration programs in DHS field offices,   (2) integration of immigration and customs investigators in U.S.  Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field offices, and   (3) administrative services and systems used by DHS’s immigration  agencies’ field offices. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) and ICE transition documents;  DHS, CIS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and ICE memos on  communicating and coordinating; DHS shared services implementation  plans; our past reports; and other relevant documents.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assumed responsibility for the immigration enforcement and services programs of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in 2003. The three DHS bureaus with primary responsibility for immigration functions are U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This transfer creates a great opportunity for DHS to address long-standing management and operational problems within INS. The Homeland Security Act requires GAO to review the transfer of immigration functions to DHS. In response, this report assesses the status of (1) communication and coordination of roles and responsibilities, (2) integration of immigration and customs investigators in ICE, and (3) administrative services and systems in CBP, CIS, and ICE.

What GAO Found

Most of the field officials with whom GAO spoke generally characterized communication and coordination with other DHS immigration programs in their geographic area as good or excellent. Other officials noted, that in some areas related to investigative techniques and other operations, unresolved issues regarding the roles and responsibilities of CBP, CIS, and ICE give rise to disagreements and confusion, with the potential for serious consequences. According to headquarters and field officials, some guidance has been made available to the field, and there are plans to provide more. Most ICE field officials GAO contacted said they have taken initial steps toward integrating the former immigration and customs investigators, such as establishing cross-training and pay parity. Most of these officials said, however, that additional important steps remained to be completed to fully integrate investigators. They reported that the lack of uniform policies and procedures for some ICE operations has caused confusion and hindered the creation of a new integrated culture. Headquarters officials said they were responding to these challenges. Officials in CBP, CIS, and ICE expressed confusion about a new shared services system for mission support when interviewed 3 to 4 months after the system was instituted. They also expressed frustration with problems they have encountered with travel, budget, and payroll systems, which are not a part of the shared services system. Additionally, the realignment of staff for shared services, along with other events, has resulted in some mission staff being assigned administrative work as a collateral duty, which may affect mission productivity. Key practices used by other public and private organizations that have undergone successful mergers and transformations may be helpful to DHS in addressing the challenges raised in this report and in transforming immigration enforcement and services. These key practices include establishing communication strategies to create shared expectations and involving employees to gain ownership for changes.