Management

Immigration enforcement agents see Trump’s border czar as one of their own

Tom Homan spent more than 30 years as a federal law enforcement officer, ultimately becoming the leader of ICE.

Management

Beefing up Border Patrol is a bipartisan goal, but the agency has a troubled history of violence and impunity

Created by the Labor Appropriations Act of 1924, the Border Patrol's full mission under the law was to “safeguard our borders” and “enhance the nation’s economic prosperity.”

Management

Federal judge pauses a program that grants protections for undocumented spouses

A Homeland Security Department spokesperson said the agency will defend the program, known as Keeping Families Together, in court. DHS is still allowed to collect applications, but not allowed to approve them.

Management

ICE struggles to track unaccompanied minors, oversight report says

The agency lacks automated systems to chart the path of underage migrants through the immigration system.

Oversight

LGBTQ+ asylum seekers detail harsh conditions and abuse in ICE custody

A new study found that the majority of LGBTQ+ detainees interviewed experienced harassment while being detained.

Workforce

The asylum backlog could double by the end of the decade without a DHS staffing surge

USCIS is failing to meet its legal obligations due to its shrinking workforce and growing responsibilities, IG says.

Management

ICE detainees suffer preventable deaths

ICE detention facilities suffer from outdated systems, a lack of translation services – and a penchant for releasing ailing detainees to reduce the death count. A Q&A with a medical researcher examines systemic failures.

Management

DHS says surge of employees to the front lines is working to ramp up border enforcement

President Biden's new policies to turn away most migrants is causing border crossings to decline significantly, administration says.

Oversight

CBP disposes of and loses migrants’ personal belongings due to unclear policy, watchdog says

The GAO recommended that Border Patrol clarify the amount of personal property from individuals in its custody that should be stored and what items may or may not be discarded.

Management

Executive order limiting asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border signed by Biden

The White House order would cap asylum requests at the southern border at 2,500 daily crossings.

Management

The Biden administration seeks to speed up some asylum cases with a new immigration docket

Homeland Security and DOJ announced a similar process in 2021 where a dedicated docket applied to migrant families that arrived between ports of entry at the Southwest border.

Oversight

ICE might be incorrectly measuring its resources needs, GAO says

A new GAO report found that the office responsible for managing ICE’s budget had a staff vacancy rate of 25% in fiscal 2023.

Management

Is Biden’s new immigration rule doomed without more staffing?

The administration is looking to create new responsibilities for an agency it has said desperately needs additional resources.

Management

Special Counsel’s office cites whistleblower protections in immigration judge gag order

The Office of the Special Counsel highlighted its recent enforcement actions of Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act provisions to curb agency efforts to chill employee speech.

Exclusive Oversight

House GOP launches investigation into DOJ's immigration judge 'gag order'

Top lawmakers say the Biden administration is inhibiting free speech and circumscribing congressional oversight.

Workforce

DOJ issues 'gag order' on immigration judges

Biden administration says the union representing the judges can no longer speak publicly without agency sign off.

Workforce

Senate rejects border-related federal hiring surge after Republicans turn on deal

The $118 billion personnel, border security, immigration reform and foreign aid measure collapsed just days after it came together.

Updated Workforce

Hiring and pay reforms accompany staffing surges in bipartisan border deal

After months of negotiations, Senate group unveils measure to ramp up border security, provide foreign aid and largely meet President Biden's request for thousands of new federal employees.

Management

DHS warns it’s running low on funds and borrowing personnel to manage border

As the number of migrants arriving at the border climbs, federal personnel are becoming overwhelmed.