Immigration agency outsources food service at detention centers

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau has decided to hire an Alaska Native corporation to take over detention center food service work currently performed by dozens of federal employees.

Fifty-six ICE food service employees at detention centers in Miami; Los Angeles; Los Fresnos and El Paso, Texas; Florence, Ariz.; and El Centro, Calif., will be replaced by ANC workers, according to a notice posted earlier this month on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site. The decision was made after the agency conducted a streamlined public-private job competition, in which officials decided after completing market research that it would be best to outsource the work.

Officials then announced in the notice early this month that, rather than soliciting proposals from all interested private sector companies, they would give the work to an Alaska Native firm. These companies are considered disadvantaged and allowed to bypass some of the normal competitive procedures required to win federal contracts.

The White House has encouraged agencies to let contractors bid on federal work considered commercial in nature, with the goal of improving efficiency and saving money. But sources familiar with ICE's recent streamlined competition for food services work said the decision to go with an Alaska Native company undermines the premise of the effort.

"ICE is not required to even show that this type of contractor is cheaper or better than federal employees, so the results of the ... competition don't matter, much less the way it was conducted," said one person at the Homeland Security Department, who spoke under the condition of anonymity. ICE is part of DHS.

But ICE spokeswoman Julie Zuieback said agency officials anticipate that the change will save $5 million over three years.

"There are job opportunities for affected employees elsewhere in ICE," Zuieback said. "Additionally, the employees will be given right of first refusal by the contractor in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations. These require the contractor to first consider an affected employee who has applied for the job and to give that employee a job if he or she is qualified."

Zuieback said the agency is currently negotiating the food services deal.

A separate agency source predicted that officials may have a difficult time making a smooth transition to a contract workforce.

"I foresee disturbances likely to occur after the new contractors take over," said the source, who also spoke under the condition of anonymity. "One of the primary reasons inmates [and] detainees riot is the quality of the food service. Contract employees will be held to strict time limits, [and] the quality and quantity will surely suffer as a result."