Laying Down the Law

James Dinkins leads the organization with the largest investigative responsibility in the federal government, and you have probably never heard of it. 

Dinkins started his career more than 25 years ago as an intern in what was then the Office of Intelligence. He is now executive associate director of Homeland Security Investigations for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where he leads a team of more than 9,000 agents. 

“Even if [American citizens] don’t know what HSI is, they still count on us to do our job every day,” Dinkins says. 

Since Dinkins assumed his post in 2009, arrest rates have risen 144 percent for intellectual property theft, 73 percent for child pornography and 65 percent for money laundering, and human trafficking rescues have doubled. 

With such a diverse purview—HSI enforces more than 400 laws and collaborates with law enforcement agencies around the globe—Dinkins stresses the importance of not just knowing the goal, but explaining how to get there.  

When assessing how to prioritize and provide a roadmap for his employees, Dinkins draws from his experience in the field. As he looks to the future, Dinkins says he will continue to rely on his past.

“My success has come from moving up through the ranks as an agent and knowing what drives and motivates our field personnel,” he says. “When it comes from [Washington], you have to think about how it will impact the people in the field who are doing the work every day.”

Law enforcement must be fluid, according to Dinkins, who says bureaucracy can become the greatest barrier to “putting bad people behind bars.”