TOPICS
TOPICS
DHS bureau gets first permanent chief financial officer
The government's second-largest investigative agency got its first permanent chief financial officer this week, signaling that sound fiscal management has become a top priority.
Debra Bond was appointed chief financial officer of the Homeland Security Department's troubled Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau, which is responsible for investigating and stopping criminal and terrorist activity and enforcing the nation's immigration laws.
The move was made by the new director of ICE, Julie Myers, who took over on Monday after having escaped the usual Senate confirmation process through a a controversial recess appointment from President Bush. Bond had served as acting CFO at the agency since June.
"Ms. Bond's appointment reflects my commitment to strengthening ICE's financial infrastructure," Myers said in a memorandum to employees.
ICE has struggled with budget shortfalls and financial management challenges. Fiscal problems at the agency escalated in 2004, resulting in a hiring freeze and spending restrictions lasting for more than a year. Some agents in the field said the restrictions affected their ability to adequately carry out investigations and other work.
The agency eventually received emergency funding from Congress last year, along with a sizable $4 billion budget for this year.
The Homeland Security Department's inspector general, however, noted in a recent report that financial management at ICE remains one of the department's top challenges.
"In [fiscal] 2005, ICE continues to struggle with financial management and reporting problems previously reported," the report said.
Auditors were unable to determine whether ICE was in violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act, which bars agencies from spending funds in excess of a given appropriation, because the agency had not adequately maintained accounting records, the IG added.
Bond, who was not available for an interview Thursday, arrived at ICE last January as special assistant for finance. She first joined DHS in October 2004 to work in the office of the chief strategist for the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program, which screens foreigners coming into the country. At the time, she was project manager for complying with a presidential directive on implementing terrorist-related screening procedures.
Prior to joining Homeland Security, Bond worked for the Office of Management and Budget. She also served as the acting budget director of the Transportation Security Administration from April to August 2002, before DHS was created.
Bond worked at TSA during a turbulent period, as well. At the time, the agency was rushing to hire tens of thousands of airport screeners. The DHS inspector general recently concluded that TSA's management of the contract to hire the screeners was riddled with problems, allowing costs to escalate from $104 million to $741 million.
In related news, Myers also named Gary Lang to serve as the agency's permanent chief of staff. Lang had been in the position on an acting basis. Previously, he was ICE's assistant director of investigations and deputy assistant director of the agency's National Security Investigations division.
COMMENTS
- I'd like to clarify some facts for "Enforcement Officer, CBP." Paul O'Neill never put up a fight to retain Customs in the Treasury Department because he was clueless when it came to law enforcement. Just after he became Treasury Secretary, and before a Secret Service detail was assigned to protect him, he came to New York for a couple of days to meet with the heads of major corporations and make TV appearances. I and several other Customs agents were assigned to his detail. After a day or two of driving him around to various appearances, he finally asked me who I worked for. I told him I was a special agent with the U.S. Customs Service. He looked at me with a blank expression, and said, "I should really find out what you people do!" Regarding your profiling claims, that was a knee-jerk reaction by then-Commissioner Ray Kelly to media and political coverage of several alleged profiling incidents. As usual with Kelly, his response was overkill. In over 20 years as a Customs inspector and then special agent, who worked in major air, sea, and land border ports of entry, I can tell you that the only "profiling" that I and my colleagues engaged in was by itinerary (e.g., source countries), not ethnicity. Were there a few "bad apples" out there doing otherwise? No doubt, in an agency with 20,000 employees. But the "solution" by Kelly only served to restrict our search policy, which had withstood legal review by the Supreme Court for decades, unnecessarily. If a few screw up, you deal with them, not make things more difficult for the rest of us. My solution is to go back to what we used to do, namely, stop and question everyone. Then nobody could accuse us of "profiling," which has only come about after management insisted on "selectivity" people we stop at the border. GovExec.com reader Posted January 25, 2006 11:36 AM
- Dear Special Agent/DHS ICE: INS also benefited from seized conveyances stemmed from immigration violations. Also, forms, which require a fee for the filing of benefits and POE fees and fines assessed on carriers contributed to this fund. Passengers pay the user fee to be inspected promptly, meaning the need to hire more CBP Officers and thus the user fee shouldn’t be channeled to investigations. Read a report from the Washington Post as to the making of DHS. Despite Customs’ apparent success, Paul O‘Neill never put up a fight to keep Customs within Treasury. Why? Like any other agency eventually the public cries as to racial profiling became too loud to ignore. It is safe to say that even the mighty Customs succumbed to public pressure and countless lawsuits because of its profiling practices, which is the reason why since 1999 major changes were made such as: 1. Congressional hearings were held and the entire Personal Search Handbook was rewritten. 2. Two bills were introduced twice "Civil Rights for International Travelers Act and the Reasonable Search Standards Act." 3. New and updated brochures, signs and other informational material including the Customs declaration were rewritten and reproduced. 4. The decision to conduct a personal search of a passenger must now be decided by a GS-12, supervisor, rather than a non-supervisory Customs Inspector, including a brand new Customs Inspector. 5. The Customs Manager at the GS-14 or 15 levels must now approve all x-ray examinations of a passenger. 6. If a personal search of an individual lasts longer than two hours a Customs supervisor, will make a phone call to a person of the passenger's choice. 7. Customs now requires that all Secondary Data collections include race. 8. Customs Inspectors are now wearing name tags so they can be easily identified for complaints. Yes, INS was effectively abolished under the DHS Act but Paul O‘Neil effectively did the same to Customs when he allowed it to be transferred to CBP. On a previous comment of yours: Enforcement Officers are not taking any investigations away from ICE since Enforcement Officers have been conducting investigations / prosecutions at the POE since 1986 because our lame INS Investigators never responded to the POE or didn‘t know how to do their jobs. For working alongside them, I sympathize with you. That much I’ll give you. GovExec.com reader Posted January 24, 2006 11:21 AM
- Dear "laughing very loud," Your sick, morbid, pleasure of trying to create hatred between legacy immigration and legacy customs will eventually take its toll on you. You've signed your name different ways ("trapped like a lab rat" to name a few) but you still remain a pathetic embarrassment to your legacy agency. You have made derogatory racial statements in the past and this forum knows you for what you are. Like I have told you before, get help before it's too late. GovExec.com reader Posted January 22, 2006 2:22 PM
