He states that CBP and ICE are overworked, and makes three recommendations based on audit.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph Cuffari testified before the House Oversight subcommittee on Tuesday, where he shared the conclusions of a recent audit done on personnel in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The audit took place over one year, conducting interviews with employees at 31 sites along the Southwest border of the United States.
“We determined that CBP’s and ICE’s current method of managing law enforcement staffing is not effective,” Cuffari stated. “Despite greater workloads, staffing levels have remained the same, with CBP and ICE using details and overtime to temporarily surge staffing along the Southwest border. Interviews and survey responses indicate that the details and overtime have negatively impacted the health and morale of law enforcement personnel.”
The audit made three recommendations to address this issue. First, have DHS partner with an independent research center to conduct a full assessment of staff needs, Second, the leaders of the CBP and ICE complete reviews of their action steps to assess the effectiveness of their decisions. Third, more thorough communication be implemented between leadership and frontline staff.
DHS endorsed two of these recommendations but did not support the proposed partnership with an independent research center.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Inspector General Cuffari as he supports solutions to the audits findings.
- For Acting Commissioner Troy Miller as he oversees Customs and Border Protection.
- For Deputy Director Tae Johnson as he heads Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Sources: Reuters, The Hill
