Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security does not have an up-to-date strategic plan to manage biometric capabilities across the Department. DHS issued a biometrics strategic framework covering 2015–2025 to address biometric capability gaps and advance biometric use across DHS.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not fully comply with Federal and departmental guidance for monitoring and overseeing transportation contracts. Specifically, ICE did not always appoint contracting officer’s representatives (COR) according to policy.

The Department of Homeland Security does not plan to apply the operating policies of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Part 23, Criminal Intelligence Systems Operating Policies, to the Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology System (HART) because it has determined, and we concur...

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) did not accurately measure and publicly report its progress in disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations (TCO) from fiscal years 2017 through 2022.

In November 2022, we conducted unannounced inspections of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities, specifically two U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the El Paso sector and one Office of Field Operations (OFO) port of entry (POE) in El Paso, Texas.

Through the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program (REPP) and the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP), Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Technological Hazards Division (THD) has taken appropriate actions during fiscal years 2018 through 2021 to assist state...

During our unannounced inspection of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Caroline Detention Facility (Caroline) in Bowling Green, Virginia, we found that Caroline complied with standards for classification, segregation, use of force, recreation, and facility conditions. We also found...

The Department of Homeland Security has limited ability to track migrants’ post-release addresses accurately and effectively. U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) cannot always obtain and does not always record migrant addresses, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not always validate...

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) did not effectively manage International Mail Facility (IMF) operations. Specifically, CBP did not ensure prompt resolution of serious issues, including critical maintenance and life safety deficiencies, at six IMFs. Additionally, CBP paid for unusable space...

The United States Coast Guard (Coast Guard) has a process to enroll vessels in the Streamlined Inspection Program (SIP) in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R). However, the Coast Guard cannot demonstrate that the oversight functions it uses ensure SIP-enrolled vessels remain in...