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Immigration and Naturalization Service Institutional Removal Program

Report No. 02-41
September 2002
Office of the Inspector General


APPENDIX IV
 
  U.S. Department of Justice
Immigration and Naturalization Service

HQOIA 110/8.2-C

Office of the Commissioner 425 I Street NW
Washington, DC 20534


SEP 20 2002
 
 
 
MEMORANDUM FOR GUY K. ZIMMERMAN
ASSISTANT INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR AUDIT
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
 
FROM: James W. Ziglar (original signed)
Commissioner
Immigration and Naturalization Service
 
SUBJECT: DRAFT AUDIT REPORT: Immigration and Naturalization Service
Institutional Removal Program
 

I appreciate the opportunity to comment on the subject draft report and solicited input from the senior management official who is most significantly impacted -- the Executive Associate Commissioner for Field Operations. I reviewed the response and concur with the corrective actions planned. The response is attached for your review.

If you have any questions, please contact Kathleen Stanley, Audit Liaison, at (202) 514-8800.

Attachment

cc: Vickie L. Sloan, DOJ Audit Liaison

 

 


 
  U.S. Department of Justice
Immigration and Naturalization Service

HQOPS 110/8.2-C

Office of the Executive Associate Commissioner 425 I Street NW
Washington, DC 20536


SEP 16 2002
 
 
 
MEMORANDUM FOR THE COMMISSIONER
 
FROM: Johnny N. Williams (original signed)
Executive Associate Commissioner
Office of Field Operations
 
SUBJECT: DRAFT AUDIT REPORT: Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)
Institutional Removal Program (IRP)
 

In the spring of 2001, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) began an audit of the IRP. This audit, conducted by the San Francisco office of the OIG, was a follow-up audit of previous OIG and General Accounting Office (GAO) reviews. On August 7, 2002, the OIG sent the seven recommendations from their draft report to the INS for comment. Below are the recommendations and INS' response that will be included in the final report. Please note that a plan to transition the IRP from Investigations to Detention and Removal is in the final stages of development.

RECOMMENDATION 1: Determine: (a) the total foreign-born inmate population at the county level, as well as the state and federal levels; (b) the resources required to cover the population through the IRP; and (c) the risks involved in not providing full coverage.

INS RESPONSE: Concur. The INS agrees that we must ascertain an accurate accounting of the foreign-born population at all levels (federal, county & state), to establish resource requirements. A partial resource review was conducted of the current program to ascertain immediate needs, however, a complete accounting will begin in fiscal year 2003 to determine the total amount of resources required to address these populations.

RECOMMENDATION 2: Strengthen the IRP program by specifically accounting for program expenses and dedicating sufficient resources to it.

INS RESPONSE: Concur. The INS agrees with the need for strengthened managemer oversight and accounting of program expenses. HQDRO has created a funding element within the DRO funding classification that will appropriately provide necessary funding and tracking o expenses needed for the IRP program. INS will continue to request the resources to support IRP through the budget process.

RECOMMENDATION 3: Fully develop and implement plans cunently under consideration for an expanded detention enforcement officer position to replace the vacancy-ridden immigration agent position.

INS RESPONSE: Concur. The INS agrees that a plan to expand the Detention Enforcement Officer positions is needed. This multi-year plan has already been developed and is currently being reviewed. Funding is available for the first two years. However, funding for the out years has not been identified.

RECOMMENDATION 4: Request that the Office of Justice Programs implement changes to current SCAAP grant requirements that would require, as a grant condition, the full cooperation of state and local governments in INS' efforts to process and deport incarcerated criminal aliens.

INS RESPONSE: Concur. The INS agrees with changing the provisions of SCAPP to include full cooperation in INS' efforts. However, funding for this initiative has not been included in the President's Fiscal Year 2003 budget request in favor of higher priority initiatives.

RECOMMENDATION 5: Develop and implement clear, consistent, and standardized procedures for IRP documentation and A-file organization to enhance efficiency and minimize detention costs.

INS RESPONSE: Concur. The INS agrees that IRP procedures for file documentation must be clear and consistent. INS will develop an operation manual and the appropriate training to address this area.

RECOMMENDATION 7: Develop and implement, in coordination with the Department of State, a Memorandum of Understanding outlining the role of liaisons between the INS and the Department of State. This should include the delineation of responsibilities with respect to the timely issuance of travel documents.

INS RESPONSE: Concur. The INS agrees that there is a need for the INS and Department of State to synchronize our efforts with respect to the issuance of travel documents. INS has already initiated these efforts by placing a liaison officer in the State Department in June of this year. This officer acts to coordinate travel document efforts between the State Department and our removals division. Our officer will coordinate the MOU.

Please contact Richard Chandler, Special Assistant, in the Office of Detention and Removal if you have any questions or concerns with this OIG Inspection. He may be reached on (202) 305-0725.