
United States
Semiannual Report to the Congress: April 1, 2019 – September 30, 2019
The Department and its components have worked with us to correct hundreds of issues and improve the economy and efficiency of programs and operations. Based on the Department's actions this period, we closed 146 recommendations issued in this and prior periods. Our work this reporting period...
DHS Lacked Technology Needed to Successfully Account for Separated Migrant Families
DHS did not have the Information Technology (IT) system functionality needed to track separated migrant families during the execution of Zero Tolerance. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) adopted various ad hoc methods to record and track family separations, but this practice introduced...
CBP, ICE, TSA, and Secret Service Have Taken Steps to Address Illegal and Prescription Opioid Use
From fiscal years 2015 through 2018, in the midst of a growing opioid epidemic, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Transportation Security Administration, and U.S. Secret Service appropriately disciplined employees whose drug test results indicated...
Audit of DHS Fiscal Year 2017 Purchase and Travel Card Programs
Except for identified questioned costs, reported DHS Purchase and Travel Card transactions for FY 2017 were appropriate and complied with relevant laws and regulations. The auditor, CohnReznick LLP, identified 17 control deficiencies within DHS Purchase and Travel Card Programs related to...
Independent Auditors' Report on DHS' FY 2019 Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
KPMG LLP (KPMG), under contract with DHS OIG, conducted an integrated audit of DHS’ FY 2019 consolidated financial statements and internal control over financial reporting. KPMG issued an unmodified (clean) opinion over the Department’s financial statements, reporting that they present fairly, in...
Major Management and Performance Challenges Facing the DHS
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...
Limitations of CBP OFO's Screening Device Used to Identify Fentanyl and Other Narcotics
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...
Whistleblower Retaliation Report of Investigation Regarding Alleged Reprisal Against a USCG Lieutenant Commander and Lieutenant
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 Sufficiently Safeguard Use of Transportation Assistance Funds
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...