Department of Homeland Security

Based on our recent and prior audits, inspections, special reviews, and investigations, we consider the most serious management and performance challenges currently facing DHS to be: (1) Managing Programs and Operations Effectively and Efficiently during times of Changes in Leadership, Vacancies...

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) has spent nearly $25.6 million on 279 small scale chemical screening devices that do not identify fentanyl and other illicit narcotics at lower purity levels (10 percent or less). We also found CBP OFO does not have adequate...

DHS OIG conducted this investigation in response to complaints made by Lieutenant Commander [Redacted] (“Complainant 1”), and Lieutenant [Redacted] (“Complainant 2”) of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) alleging that Lieutenant Commander (Responsible Management Official 1 [Redacted] (“RMO 1”) and...

FEMA did not take sufficient actions to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse of transportation assistance funds for vehicles considered damaged or destroyed by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in FY 2017. These weakness occurred because FEMA does not require that agencies collect and retain...

Richland County did not always properly account for and expend Federal funds according to Federal regulations and FEMA guidelines. FEMA did not hold North Dakota accountable for fulfilling its grant management responsibilities, and North Dakota did not adequately manage the FEMA grant by monitoring...

DHS has not fully met requirements of the Act to assess its cybersecurity workforce and develop a strategy to address workforce gaps. The Department has not submitted annual workforce assessments to Congress by the statutorily defined due dates for the past four years. DHS did not include all...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not properly review the requests for Public Assistance grant funds for damages to the Holland Tunnel. FEMA did not follow Federal regulations nor its own guidelines for reviewing cost estimates and documenting its determinations. FEMA Region II...

DHS’ information security program was effective for fiscal year 2018 because the Department earned the targeted maturity rating, “Managed and Measurable” (Level 4) in four of five functions, as compared to last year’s lower overall rating, “Consistently Implemented” (Level 3). We attributed DHS’...

S&T did not fully comply with requirements of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended, by not effectively coordinating and integrating department-wide R&D activities. In August 2015, S&T established IPTs as the central mechanism to identify, track, and coordinate department-wide priority R&D...

FEMA has not implemented federally mandated IT management practices essential for effective oversight of its IT environment. Specifically, FEMA has not established an IT strategic plan, architecture, or governance framework to facilitate day-to-day management of its aging IT systems and equipment...