Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Study: Border Security Woes Warrant Merger


By LARA JAKES JORDAN
The Associated Press
Tuesday, November 8, 2005; 6:23 PM


WASHINGTON -- Poor coordination between two border security enforcement agencies has resulted in systematic failures to stop, remove and investigate illegal immigrants entering the country, a federal report says.

Homeland Security officials issued a blistering response to the report by the department's inspector general, calling the findings inaccurate and shortsighted.

The report, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, recommends merging Customs and Border Protection with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to eliminate competition and dysfunction at the two bureaus. Both are arms of the Homeland Security Department.

"The division between CBP and ICE is marked by a clear institutional barrier," the report says. "Shortfalls in operational coordination and information sharing have fostered an environment of uncertainty and mistrust between CBP and ICE personnel."

"These organizational conditions have led to the articulation of mismatched priorities, competition and, at times, operational inflexibility," the report concludes.

The two bureaus also fail to coordinate intelligence activities, according to the report, which largely mirrors earlier draft recommendations that Homeland Security brass had worked unsuccessfully to soften.

Both bureaus were part of the now-defunct Immigration and Naturalization Service, which was dissolved when Homeland Security was created in 2003.

Several independent groups also have suggested such a merger. But Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff decided in July to keep the two agencies separate, fearing that combining them could hinder investigations and, ultimately, national security.

In a letter responding to the report, Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson said the department "strongly disagrees" with the merger proposal.

"In driving to this conclusion, the report lacks analytic vigor, and it is tainted by factual errors," Jackson wrote to Homeland Security Inspector General Richard L. Skinner. He said a merger would "actually compound many of the very problems that you identify."

The department also issued a 23-page, point-by-point analysis to dispute the report's findings.

Sen. Susan Collins, chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said the report "paints a pretty devastating picture of two dysfunctional agencies." The Senate committee will consider proposals to merge the bureaus as early as next year.

"The report is so strong in its recommendations that I'm not surprised that the department is trying to debunk them," said Collins, R-Maine, who asked for the inspector general's audit in January.

Echoed Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the committee's top Democrat, "I intend to seriously consider that recommendation, and I urge Secretary Chertoff to do the same."

Good luck to them. I hope it works out better than the last three or four ICE/CBP merger rumors.

It seems the biggest obstacle is that while ICE very much wants to rejoin CBP, I don't get the feeling that CBP is that enthused about it.

I peferred the world prior to the reorganization of the federal agencies. I always got a lot more cooperation and saw more enforcement when there was only Border Patrol (they did it all). Now I am inundated with illegals and no one wants to come get them.

I peferred the world prior to the reorganization of the federal agencies. I always got a lot more cooperation and saw more enforcement when there was only Border Patrol (they did it all). Now I am inundated with illegals and no one wants to come get them.

I only wish DHS would have modeled itself like DOD; in charge of "branches", with each retaining its own specialty, uniform, history, & identity. Now we're jacks of all trades & masters of none. Nice impression the public gets.
Instead of tighter controls in a post-9/11 world, it's now all about coddling & letting bygones (or illegal presence, overstays, etc.) be bygones. It's called discretion, but not like we typically know it. It's more like, let everything in & everybody go.
I only WISH our duties were expanded to roam cities & snatch up illegals [so you don't have to]! That, and eliminating sanctuary cities/ states.
Oh, and not enough jail space? Follow Sheriff Arpaio's system: tents, bologna & cheese sandwiches, (non-)etc.

I only wish DHS would have modeled itself like DOD; in charge of "branches", with each retaining its own specialty, uniform, history, & identity. Now we're jacks of all trades & masters of none. Nice impression the public gets.
Instead of tighter controls in a post-9/11 world, it's now all about coddling & letting bygones (or illegal presence, overstays, etc.) be bygones. It's called discretion, but not like we typically know it. It's more like, let everything in & everybody go.
I only WISH our duties were expanded to roam cities & snatch up illegals [so you don't have to]! That, and eliminating sanctuary cities/ states.
Oh, and not enough jail space? Follow Sheriff Arpaio's system: tents, bologna & cheese sandwiches, (non-)etc.
I like your plan. Put your application in to run that outfit and put me down as a reference :)

I only wish DHS would have modeled itself like DOD; in charge of "branches", with each retaining its own specialty, uniform, history, & identity. Now we're jacks of all trades & masters of none. Nice impression the public gets.
Instead of tighter controls in a post-9/11 world, it's now all about coddling & letting bygones (or illegal presence, overstays, etc.) be bygones. It's called discretion, but not like we typically know it. It's more like, let everything in & everybody go.
I only WISH our duties were expanded to roam cities & snatch up illegals [so you don't have to]! That, and eliminating sanctuary cities/ states.
Oh, and not enough jail space? Follow Sheriff Arpaio's system: tents, bologna & cheese sandwiches, (non-)etc.
Keep up the good work. Wish more could be done to support you!

Someone sure needs to fix the illegal alien apprehension mess. If a merger would do it, I hope it happens. But, I don't think it will happen, and I'm not sure it would be better if it was.