Management Alert - CBP Spends Millions Conducting Polygraph Examinations on Unsuitable Applicants

CBP administered polygraph examinations to applicants who previously provided disqualifying information on employment documents or during the pre-test interview. This occurred because CBP’s process did not stop, and is not sufficient to prevent, unsuitable applicants from continuing through the polygraph examination. As a result, we estimated that between fiscal years 2013 and 2016 CBP spent about $5.1 million completing more than 2,300 polygraphs for applicants with significant pre-test admissions of wrongdoing. If CBP implemented a security interview and improved utilization of the adjudicative process, it could put its funds to better use by focusing on applicants with the best chance of making it through the hiring process. Not doing so slows the process for qualified applicants; wastes polygraph resources on unsuitable applicants; and will make it more difficult for CBP to achieve its hiring goals. We recommend CBP improve its screening by establishing an in-person pre-security interview process, requiring examiners to use the on-call adjudication process, and discontinue testing of unsuitable applicants.