Immigration, customs agencies still struggling to coordinate efforts
Field officials tell GAO that communication is improving, but the effort to coordinate efforts among three Homeland Security agencies still faces challenges.
The Homeland Security Department's immigration- and customs-related agencies struggle with internal communication problems that in some cases may interfere with efforts to protect the country, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
DHS, which was created by the 2002 Homeland Security Act, oversees the immigration duties formerly handled by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which had long been plagued by management problems. DHS also took over responsibility for U.S. Customs operations from the Treasury Department. DHS now handles customs and immigration through three agencies: Customs and Border Protection, Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The report (GAO-05-81) concluded that while most field officials say there is good or excellent communication and coordination, integration of immigration and customs responsibilities has still caused confusion. Field officials told GAO that they are unclear about their roles and responsibilities, and that in some cases lack of communication prevents officials from doing their job.
"We found in our field work that there wasn't enough [communication] for the organizational components to work well together," said Richard Stana, GAO's director for homeland security and justice issues.
In addition, the report found that the agency is hampered by pay disparities and officials on the same team who are based in different places. GAO said that DHS also suffers from delays in issuing badges and uniforms, as well as technical problems with travel, budget and payroll.
In a letter attached to the report, Anna Dixon, the department's GAO liaison, pointed out that DHS encourages communication between field officers and headquarters management through an ombudsman and town hall meetings, among other efforts. She also said that DHS has made significant progress toward clearly defining policies and procedures, in part by issuing a field manual.
"It's one thing to have a handbook; it's another to have the handbook clearly understood and subscribed to by the rank and file," Stana said. He added that large transitions, such as the one DHS is going through, can take up to seven years to complete, and that GAO will be watching closely.
"The mission of DHS is critical to the safety of Americans. If things don't work right for DHS, it could have serious consequences for the country, so we want them to work as quickly and as efficiently as they can," Stana said.
DHS has been on GAO's high-risk list since 2003, the year it was formed. The list includes federal agencies and programs vulnerable to fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement.