ENDGAME Office of Detention and Removal Strategic Plan, 2003 - 2012, Part 1

Detention and Removal Strategy for a Secure Homeland

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Detention and Removal

Executive Summary

Endgame is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Detention and Removal (DRO) multi-year strategic enforcement plan. It stresses the effective and efficient execution of the critical service DRO provides its partners and stakeholders to enforce the nation’s immigration and naturalization laws. The DRO strategic plan sets in motion a cohesive enforcement program with a ten-year time horizon that will build the capacity to “remove all removable aliens,” eliminate the backlog of unexecuted final order removal cases, and realize its vision.

DRO VISION “Within ten years, the Detention and Removal Program will be able to meet all of our commitments to and mandates from the President, Congress, and the American people.”

Building partnerships with critical stakeholders; Developing a professional workforce and the infrastructure to retain it; and Employing mission-critical systems and information technology.

Endgame embodies the core principles found within the National Strategy for Homeland Security. The National Strategy for Homeland Security promotes a balanced and integrated enforcement strategy, which ensures the probability of apprehension and the impact of the consequences are sufficient to deter future illegal activity. Through its operational focus on fugitive apprehension and developing full capacity to remove all removable aliens, Endgame is a key element in the achievement of the balanced immigration enforcement strategy. DRO’s success as a core element of the immigration enforcement mission will be realized when the synchronization of its resources and infrastructure result in the immediate and effective removal of each removable alien. With this strategic plan, DRO strives toward that goal while ensuring that its services will be provided consistently and professionally. The result will be enhanced homeland security through the successful accomplishment of DRO’s mission.

Endgame is an essential part of an overall strategic planning process that will integrate operations with budget development and performance measurement. The DRO Strategic Plan Working Group, which developed this plan, will maintain it and the process through a suite of performance indicators. These will ensure that operations and accomplishments are appropriately measured and that the plan accurately reflects the current and future environment. Endgame is pro-active in its vision to confront and overcome the many challenges DRO faces today and will face tomorrow. Throughout the next ten years, DRO will implement and execute a series of strategies that will develop the capacity and capability to execute all final orders of removal. The three themes listed below are DRO’s “foundations for success,” the pillars supporting the platform from which this plan and its strategies will be launched:

DRO MISSION

“Promote the public safety and national security by ensuring the departure from the United States of all removable aliens through the fair and effective enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws.”

Executive Summary

Chapter 1. Introduction

Endgame is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Our mission is critical to the immigration Detention and Removal (DRO) multi-year enforcement process and provides the final strategic enforcement plan. It is part of a link in securing America’s borders. Our broader planning cycle that, when fully plans, operations and resource requests will implemented, will integrate strategic and be fully integrated with all other immigration operational planning with the budget building enforcement programs and initiatives. process and performance measurement. Initiatives to improve border security and Endgame articulates the DRO mission and protect the interior of the United States vision statement, and through an increase in will guide the personnel and Endgame is part of a broader planning development and enhanced information cycle that, when fully implemented, will execution of DRO integrate strategic and operational technology, as well as operations through a planning with the budget building process the establishment of and performance measurement. focused set of goals, the DHS, will require objectives and significant increases in strategies. The plan detention and removal identifies core detention and removal operations and resources. Our management business functions and key processes within and staff will use this plan as a reference tool five goal areas to accomplish several shortto develop operations that will be properly and long-term objectives. It emphasizes the and fully aligned with all immigration execution of key processes within the two enforcement operations. We will follow this core functions, removals and custody plan to ensure that we manage and maintain management, recognizing they will remain an effective detention and removal program, essentially the same once the Program is and that we continue to execute our part in fully integrated into the Department of the overall immigration enforcement process. Homeland Security (DHS). On March 1, 2003, DRO officially became Enforcement Challenge part of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the directorate of Border and Transportation Security (BTS) Recent events and political initiatives have within the Department of Homeland Security emphasized the significance of DRO’s (DHS). This transition brings with it new mission and the critical need to restore some partners, stakeholders and challenges yet, certainty to the removal of aliens found to be we must remain diligent in our efforts to removable. DRO will meet the challenge of provide the entire DRO program with the this defining moment in our nation’s history, appropriate tools and resources required to clearly demonstrating our critical role in accomplish our mission and daily immigration enforcement and our nation’s assignments. Through this team and our domestic security. This plan will guide our inter-agency and internal partnerships, we will efforts in developing operational plans and succeed in meeting our national policy resource requirements to achieve our mandates. national immigration law enforcement policy aims. Through cooperative relationships and effective partnerships with our internal and external stakeholders, we will fulfill the demands of the President, the Congress and the American people. Building these partnerships is fundamental to the success of this plan and DRO’s mission and will result in improvements that maximize efficiencies within the immigration enforcement process.

Strategic Framework

The Director for Detention and Removal, in conjunction with his staff, has developed a vision statement to guide the efforts of the program for the next ten years. This ten-year vision is focused on the development of the infrastructure, resources, personnel and leadership necessary to develop, maintain and sustain a program that will accomplish its mission efficiently and effectively throughout the next ten years, and beyond. U.S. immigration policy remains fluid to reflect the ever-changing global and political environment; however, this ten-year vision will transcend these changes, as it is founded in a mission that reflects the core business of the Detention and Removal program. The DRO mission is the cornerstone of this vision and this plan. Over the next ten years, Endgame will lay the groundwork for developing the capacity and capability to remove all removable aliens. The principles of that foundation are implicit in three overarching strategic themes: o o o Build partnerships with critical stakeholders. Develop a professional workforce and the infrastructure to retain it. Employ information systems and technology.

These three themes influence objectives and strategies across five goal areas. These five goal areas will guide DRO operations and efforts and support ICE strategic goals. The relationships between DRO goals and those of ICE and the National Strategy for Homeland Security are depicted in the graphic on the following page and described in more detail in Chapter 3.

DRO VISION

Within ten years the Detention and Removal Program will be able to fully meet all of our commitments and mandates from the President, Congress and the American people.

To make this happen, the following will be required: !" Visionary leadership, at all levels of the organization !" An effectively trained and educated professional workforce !" The right levels of the right resources such as personnel, facilities, and support infrastructure !" Effective, responsive, and accurate command, control, communication, computers and intelligence (C4I) systems that truly support our enforcement requirements and improve the way we do business !" Thoughtful and thorough planning, and effective operational execution

Introduction

When implemented to its fullest, this plan will serve as the platform from which strategies will be initiated, partnerships will be built, and innovation for continued process improvement will be fostered. This vision will be realized, and the mission will be accomplished, only through the collective and collaborative efforts of all DRO employees. DRO employees (including officers, management, and staff) must encourage growth and improvement through the sharing of ideas and the integration of DRO core business functions with key processes, all critical elements of the immigration enforcement program.

a professional, effective and efficient manner while addressing the rights, needs and interests of all its various stakeholders. DRO’s primary stakeholders have been identified and grouped, as depicted on the following page:

Stakeholders

In response to national policy, DRO provides the necessary public service of removing unauthorized aliens from the United States. DRO is committed to providing this service in efforts we will create consequences for DRO’s primary internal customers are the and deterrence to illegal immigration. other enforcement arms within the DRO’s service and enforcement partners Department’s Directorate of Border and Transportation Security that includes work diligently to identify, locate, apprehend, investigators and intelligence analysts within process, and remove aliens who violate this ICE and inspectors and border patrol agents nation’s immigration laws. While inspectors within the Bureau of Customs and Border and border patrol agents can remove aliens Enforcement (CBP). Other DHS customers directly at ports of entry via expedited include the Law removal, voluntary It is only through our combined efforts Enforcement Support return or other that we will create the consequences for Center (LESC), the methods, that is not a and deterrence of illegal immigration. Office of International core function of their Affairs, and the Bureau mission. “Removing all of Customs and Immigration Services (CIS). removable aliens” is, in fact, DRO’s mission. Through cooperative and concerted efforts, All of the activity needed to carry out that all aspects of the immigration enforcement mission is the service we provide our process will be completed thoroughly and partners. Illegal aliens, unaccompanied expeditiously. It is only through our combined juveniles, asylum seekers, refugees, and countless other apprehended aliens cannot all be immediately removed from the country, nor can they all be released into the American community. For that reason, DRO resources and expertise are required to transport these aliens from point to point, to manage them in custody while their cases are being processed and, finally, to remove them from the country when ordered to do so. The effects of other programs’ enforcement efforts are diminished and their operations are constrained if DRO cannot execute its mission efficiently and effectively. Therefore, DRO must immerse itself within the immigration enforcement element of DHS and establish a significant and collaborative presence with its service and enforcement partners and stakeholders.

The effects of other programs’ enforcement efforts are diminished and their operations are constrained if DRO cannot execute its mission efficiently and effectively.

facilitate a smooth and trouble-free transfer from the United States to the alien’s home of record. While the alien will not necessarily perceive any “benefit” from DRO services, he will be provided with safe and secure confinement in detention facilities, as well as transportation from ports and points along the border to other detention facilities or his country of origin. These services will be provided in a professional manner; the alien will be detained in safe, secure and humane environments; he will be transported safely; and his movement will be fully coordinated with his family, legal representative, and country of origin, whenever appropriate. For these reasons, the alien is as important a stakeholder as any of the others mentioned. This strategic plan and the vision statement have been developed in consideration of the concerns of each of our stakeholders. It is difficult to prioritize DRO efforts to satisfy one stakeholder’s needs over that of another; yet the need to satisfy the American constituency, protect their freedoms and secure their safety remains the overarching and desired outcome.

DRO must maintain cooperative relationships with each one of its stakeholders to ensure that enforcement operations are conducted as efficiently and professionally as possible and that all stakeholders’ legitimate interests Plan Development are addressed. DRO and the private sector rely on each other for the services each On August 3, 1993 the President signed into demands and has to offer. While the private law the Government Performance and sector relies on DRO to provide national and Results Act (GPRA). Simply stated, the law international transportation, or to house and implements a strategic planning and feed detainees, DRO relies on those same performance-measuring process to hold services to execute its mission when they are government agencies accountable to the not available through normal government American people for the money they spend. channels. DRO must also maintain similar To that end, the law requires government cooperative relationships with foreign agencies to develop governments in order strategic plans with to realize and effect measurable program Endgame supports national, DHS, and removal. Strong goals, and to report ICE-wide policy and initiatives, while partnerships and annually to Congress satisfying the inherent needs of both cooperative and the American public its internal and external stakeholders. coordination between on their progress. The DRO, the DHS Office Office of Detention and of International Removal now releases Affairs, the Department of State (DOS), its supporting strategic plan, Endgame, foreign governments, and the alien will covering the time frame 2003-2012. The plan supports national, DHS, and ICE-wide policy and initiatives, while satisfying the inherent needs of both its internal and external stakeholders. The DRO strategic plan and planning process is the culmination of a nine-month collaborative effort of the Strategic Plan Working Group (SPWG). The SPWG, consisting of 23 individuals from HQDRO, the field, and other HQ staff elements, was chartered in September 2001. The group’s immediate task was to develop performance measures to be incorporated into the existing suite of performance indicators for inclusion in the fiscal year 2003 Annual Performance Plan. Upon completion of that immediate assignment, the group began a systematic, academic approach to developing a strategic plan that would serve as the cornerstone for development of the fiscal year 2004 (and future) budgets. The group developed the mission statement and five goal areas in which to focus its operational efforts. Through an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT), the SPWG identified a set of strategic challenges, key success factors, and executable objectives and strategies to address and/or overcome its challenges. The SPWG resolved that all of its key processes (its routine and day-to-day activities) could be grouped into two core business functions: 1) removals; and 2) custody management. In order to justify the need and significance of each strategy and objective, the group developed a suite of indicators to measure performance in each goal area throughout the year. Upon release of the plan, the group will transition to a maintenance mode and will meet quarterly to review the progress of this plan and update it accordingly.

chapters, this plan lays out a set of strategic initiatives DRO will undertake to accomplish its mission, achieve its goals, overcome its challenges and satisfy its stakeholders. The plan does not, however, focus on the implementation of specific processes in conducting DRO business. Detailed processes and operations will be addressed in a supporting five-year business plan from which the budget, the annual performance plan and the annual implementation plan will be built. These appendices support this strategic plan and will be updated on a recurring basis.

In its four chapters, this plan lays out a set of strategic initiatives DRO will undertake to accomplish its mission, achieve its goals, overcome its challenges, and satisfy its stakeholders.

Execution

This Strategic Plan is effective upon release, and will be maintained by the SPWG throughout the year. Review of the plan and its critical elements will be conducted in conjunction with budget calls, mid-year reviews, and the development of Annual Performance Plans and Implementation Plans.

Plan Structure

Endgame will shape the future of the DRO organization and will guide the program through the current sea of change. The strategic plan is rooted in the overarching vision, mission, and goals that will serve as constants for the next ten years. In its four
1-6 Introduction

Overview

The Detention and Deportation Program, now the Office of Detention and Removal (DRO), was established in a 1955 reorganization of the INS to carry out a mission first articulated in the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. The Alien and Sedition Acts included the earliest deportation legislation, which empowered the President to order the departure from the United States of all aliens deemed dangerous. Legislation since then has expanded the detention and removal operations and redefined the classes of aliens to be deported or excluded. The basic mission, however, remains the same: Remove all removable aliens. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952 expanded the federal expulsion power to include a wider category of aliens. The INA listed 19 general classes of deportable aliens and provided for exclusion (at the time of application for admission) to the United States on health, criminal, moral, economic, subversive, and other grounds. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 expanded the number of crimes that made people subject to removal. It also eliminated DRO’s discretion to release certain aliens by requiring that virtually any non-citizen subject to removal on the basis of a criminal conviction, as well as certain categories of non-criminal aliens, be detained without bond. As a result of these acts and other legislation, DRO is required to detain and remove a much larger and more diverse population. The current population requires unique facilities, procedures and management depending on risk, criminal category, nationality, health and other special needs. Similarly, operations, policy and legislation that were developed in response to the September 11 attacks (such as the Border Security Act and the USA PATRIOT Act) further expanded DRO’s operational area of responsibility. These Acts, in particular, have reprioritized national immigration enforcement efforts and this program’s responsibilities and operations. By implementing this strategic plan and providing a guide to conduct operations, this program is making strides in altering its operations and resource requirements to support both current and future immigration related policy, events and activity.

Situation

Reorganizations and Demands for Service A) Reorganizations: DRO was integrated into the Department of Homeland Security’s Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 31, 2003. Notwithstanding the impact this transition will have on DRO, the program’s mission and core functions (custody management and removal) will remain the same. The most significant changes will be seen in the organizational structure, chains of command, and hierarchy. This plan is focused on the program’s core business functions and key processes and will, therefore, not be significantly impacted by the final reorganization decisions. B) Demands for Service: An effective enforcement program requires that a significant risk of apprehension be combined with a high likelihood that apprehension will result in removal. With high enough risk of apprehension and sufficient likelihood of removal, the incidence of illegal activities will decline, improving law enforcement effectiveness. The national strategy for law enforcement must address the priority of removals. The “endgame” of immigration law enforcement is the removal of individuals who have received final orders of removal.

Situational Assessment

This is the essence of DRO’s mission. Improvements in the operational effectiveness of apprehensions will create an increased requirement for processing and removing offenders. Therefore, to successfully complete the enforcement process, the removals program must be as vigorous as other enforcement programs. DRO needs appropriate resources to ensure that removal does, in fact, result surely from apprehension. Otherwise, the workload resulting from enhancements to and increased efficiencies within other DHS programs will be made in vain without an equally enhanced detention and removals program. As part of the DHS immigration and law enforcement mission, the DRO program has the primary responsibility of providing adequate and appropriate custody management (including bed space), supporting removals, facilitating the processing of illegal aliens through the immigration court, and enforcing their departure from the United States. Key elements in exercising those responsibilities include: identifying and removing all high-risk illegal alien absconders; ensuring that those aliens who have already been identified as criminals are expeditiously removed; and developing and maintaining a robust removals program with the capacity to remove all final order cases issued annually, thus precluding growth in the illegal alien absconder populations. Simply stated, DRO’s ultimate goal is to develop the capacity to remove all removable aliens. Integral to making America more secure, DHS detention and removal operations provide the final step in the immigration enforcement process. To accomplish this mission, DRO will be vigorous in its efforts to provide services commensurate to the demand from and efforts expended by other enforcement programs and agencies. DRO will increase its overall number of removals annually in order to thwart and deter continued growth in the illegal alien population. Moving toward a 100% rate of removal for all removable aliens is critical to allow the ICE to provide the level of immigration enforcement necessary to keep America secure. Without this final step in the process, apprehensions made by other DHS programs cannot truly contribute to national security.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT)

Endgame was developed with both the positive and negative aspects of the program in mind. DRO will exploit its strengths and minimize its weaknesses in order to capitalize on available opportunities and overcome the challenges it faces in pursuit of its mission. Strengths DRO’s success will be attributed to the strength of its leadership, current and planned initiatives, the experience and dedication of its workforce and an unquestionable commitment from the entire program to execute this plan and the critical planning process within which it is a part. The current workforce has the experience, dedication and corporate knowledge needed to build the foundation from which this plan will be launched and from which the program capacity will be both built and enhanced. DRO’s workforce is supported by time-proven processes to remove illegal aliens from the country and the maintenance of detention facilities against standards more stringent than the national norm. 1. Leadership: DRO leadership believes that “failing to plan is planning to fail” and therefore supports this strategic plan and a planning process that fully integrates operations and performance with resource needs. DRO leadership is committed to executing this plan and its strategies to accomplish the mission and attain the vision by empowering the DRO workforce to think globally, work smarter and take responsibility for executing a critical function of the entire immigration enforcement process. 2. Workforce: The DRO core business functions (custody management and removal) demand that the DRO officer corps maintain broad and expert knowledge of all applicable immigration laws, policy and procedures; they do so. The DRO officer corps has the education and experience to manage IICE’s unique population while simultaneously carrying out proper enforcement action. Because of their diverse workload and broad immigration knowledge, DRO officers are often called on to serve on review panels that recommend parole, release or other relief for aliens in accordance with the law. They are also authorized and mandated to discuss and act on immigration issues with aliens being processed for administrative immigration violations. 3. Unique Population and Detention Standards: The detained alien population is unique and extremely diverse. Detained aliens are in administrative custody (versus punitive or correctional) and are therefore afforded rights and privileges not gained by prisoners incarcerated in other federal institutions. For this reason, DRO conducts routine inspections of its facilities and operations to ensure that they are in compliance with approved standards, that aliens are treated humanely, and that they are safe and secure. DRO manages its own Detention Management Control Plan (DMCP) to ensure its facilities comply with American Correctional Association detention standards and their own more stringent and comprehensive ICE Detention Standards. Through execution of thorough and routine inspections outlined in the DMCP, DRO ensures its facilities are operated in a professional manner and are compliant with appropriate codes, standards, and regulations.

a) Health Care: DRO is expanding its health care delivery system to fit current and future needs in the most cost-effective way. This includes increasing the services currently provided by the Public Health Service (PHS). It also includes an overall upgrade of the Immigration Health Information System (IHIS), involving the creation of an electronic surveillance system for communicable diseases that will help to control costs and significantly increase administrative efficiency. This initiative will allow PHS to maintain appropriate staff levels needed to provide requisite detainee health care. It will especially enhance the movement of detainees to the most optimal site based on their health conditions and will clear them for removal more quickly. b) Chaplaincy: DRO has requested positions be created to place chaplains in each of its Service Processing Centers (SPCs) to ensure that detainees of different faiths are provided reasonable and equitable opportunities to pursue their respective religious practices. This initiative will satisfy detention standards that allow for the practice of various religions, unique food provisions, and spiritual needs during terminal illness and death. The chaplain will also be responsible for advising the Officer in Charge in matters of religious holiday observance, religious diets, religious personal property, dress and contraband. 4. September 11 Awareness: The unprecedented terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 heightened awareness among the public and governments worldwide of the critical importance of enforcing immigration laws and sharing information and intelligence. Since then, the U.S. has reviewed its own business practices regarding immigration and homeland defense and, in doing so, has identified critical gaps that are now being addressed and resolved. This worldwide focus on immigration provides the opportunity to develop and enhance relationships and cooperation with foreign governments and, most importantly, among U.S. law enforcement, border control and defense agencies. Finally, it has afforded the DRO and the DHS an opportunity to educate the public on the critical mission and role they play in the immigration enforcement process. Weaknesses 1. Lack of Empirical Models: The DRO mission cannot be accomplished without appropriate human resources, yet the program does not have reliable models to determine what the true workload-top personnel ratio should be. Although a new financial management system, the Federal Financial Management System (FFMS), is being fielded that will enhance the management of current fiscal resources, DRO does not have the capability to conduct detailed financial analysis and resource identification utilizing the current system. Also lacking is a documented business model and accurate cost data to support future budgetary planning, resource allocation, cost optimization, and GPRA requirements. 2. Human Resource Shortfall: The program experienced relatively gradual growth in key areas from 1998 to 2001 (end of year 2002 numbers were not available while drafting this plan). The DRO staff grew by only three percent, which was slightly slower than the four percent growth in the docket or caseload. While the program is making progress, increasing removals by 11 percent, staff growth is only barely keeping pace with the growing docket. Staff growth must exceed docket growth if the program is going to begin making progress on diminishing and eliminating the existing backlog. Detention and Removal resources have not kept pace with the increased number of apprehensions generated by explosive growth in Border Patrol and Inspections since 1996. Since that time, these apprehension resources have increased by 64 percent while DRO forces have increased by only 37 percent. While DRO does not have empirical models to show the optimal ratio of DRO forces to apprehension assets, it is clear that this asymmetrical growth has put severe strains on the program. Its ability to follow up on apprehensions, to effectively manage the processing of cases through the immigration courts, and to remove those ordered removed has been hindered. 3. Standardization: The current field structure, coupled with a lack of unified national operations plans, has resulted in diversified and inconsistent interpretation of policy and guidance within and between regions and districts. Additionally, the current performance measurement system creates an atmosphere of territoriality rather than a unified, cooperative, effective, and efficient operation. DRO acknowledges that nationwide operations cannot be conducted consistently without unified operations plans and clear guidance to the field. Developing a national fugitive operations policy, a national custody management plan and a national transportation system are the program’s greatest challenges and will prove to be among its greatest recent accomplishments when complete. Development and deployment of these national plans, as envisioned, will have significant positive impact on DRO operations across the board. These national plans will not solve all program deficiencies but will significantly reduce and minimize the gaps. Standard staffing guidelines and staffing levels are also absent from the DRO personnel management system. Staff make-ups vary widely among and between like offices throughout the country. Arguably, offices should reflect the particular needs of their locale, but the discrepancy in staffing levels and ratios, officer grade, and employee roles and responsibilities creates anomalies in mission accomplishment and unfair advantages and disadvantages to those competing for like jobs. 4. National Fleet System: Lacking a National Transportation Strategy and efficient coordination, DRO spends millions of dollars annually for air and ground transportation in order to manage the detention population and effect timely removals. Likewise, as staffing levels in other programs have increased, the DRO program has experienced an increased workload without the necessary increase in vehicles. Consequently, the lack of adequate types and numbers of vehicles and a central movement control center handicaps DRO in carrying out its mission as effectively and efficiently as it could. 5. Alternatives to Detention: The DRO detained population has grown in both numbers and diversity in recent years, yet detention methods needed to satisfy unique demands have not kept pace. For example, family groups are often held in hotels because there are not adequate facilities available to house both adults and juveniles together. 6. DHS Enforcement Initiatives: The DHS is currently implementing and making plans to implement several enforcement initiatives and programs that, when fully operational, will generate increased demands on DRO. Unfortunately, these increased demands do not come with increased DRO resources. DRO cannot fully support these programs, and they will not be as effective as intended, without a commensurate increase in personnel and infrastructure. These programs are the Student Exchange and Visitor Program (SEVP) and the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT). 7. Workforce Development: The DHS operates and maintains an intensive course of instruction for new officers and recruits. The academies provide 11-, 16-, and 21-week courses designed to provide officers with the core competencies needed to begin their work at their duty location. The officers do, however, require a period of on-the-job training before they are fully effective in their assigned duties. Unfortunately, DRO does not have an advanced or professional development program of equal caliber. Officers do not have a “career advancement” template to follow and, due to the operational tempo and shortfall in human resources, officers are often not relieved from duty to attend professional development training. This, along with several other factors, has had a detrimental affect on retention rates within the DRO officer corps. The low retention rate is further exacerbated, as the hiring and training process is extremely slow and cumbersome; officers are not trained and put in place before existing staff is burnt out and eventually leaves the program. 8. Institutional Removal Program (IRP): The IRP, as currently executed, is inefficient and less effective than it should be because the responsibility for operational execution lies with the Investigations program (identifying and processing incarcerated aliens) and the responsibility for results lies with the Detention and Removal program (removing criminal aliens). Even at authorized staffing levels, the Government Accounting Office (GAO) and the Office of the Inspector General have clearly cited a workforce shortfall to handle the significant workload.