University educators from northern Ohio, devoted to international programs and services, gathered in the Union yesterday morning to get a glimpse into the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its three corresponding bureaus.
Mark Hansen, the interim director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in Cleveland, spoke to his audience on the history and future of the Department of Homeland Security, the role of BCIS.
Hansen opened his speech by outlining the history of the Department of Homeland Security. The department was created on Nov. 24, 2002, when President George W. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act.
This new department would include 22 federal agencies and over 170,000 federal employees. Hansen said the process is “the largest restructuring of the government creating a new department since 1946.”
By March 1, various agencies, such as the former Departments of Immigration and Naturalization Services Customs and the Transportation and Security Agency all combined to form the Department of Homeland Security.
According to Hansen, throughout the transition to Homeland Security, Congress made one thing clear: the Department of Immigration and Naturalization Services was to be abolished. “That was a very clear message,” Hansen said. “This agency that had been around for 112 years, had grown to 40,000 employees, and had a budget of over $4.5 billion, was essentially to cease to exist as of March 1.”
Hansen said the abolition of the INS was an emotional time for employees. “But after March 1 came, it was a start of a lot of change.”
This change consisted of the creation of three bureaus, each containing its own duties and responsibilities, which would fall within the Department of Homeland Security.
The first bureau discussed, and the one Hansen is directly involved with is the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. The bureau carries out the former responsibilities of the INS, such as providing immigrant benefits and services.
The BCIS also handles citizenship and naturalization issues as well as the asylum, orphan and refugee programs.
The second bureau discussed by Hansen was the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This bureau is composed of former INS investigators, federal detectives and special agents. “You’re essentially taking Customs, INS and Protection Services and rolling it all into one,” Hansen said. The final bureau within the Department of Homeland Security is the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. This bureau consists of former border control personnel and at 30,000 employees, is the largest of the three branches.
Despite the transitions and adjustments being made within the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration, the bureau is determined to not be interrupted in its service to the public, Hansen said.
“The bureau has some immediate priorities,” Hansen said. “One of those is national security, first and foremost. Second is to continue to eliminate the backlogs and third is to improve our customer service.”
Some examples of improved customer service include making BCIS “user-friendly.” A developed website, customer service centers and extended hours are all examples of BCIS catering to the public, Hansen said.
Jeffrey Grilliot, the director of the center for International Programs at the University, is enthusiastic about the transitions occurring within BCIS. “I think in many ways, the agency will become more efficient because it is divesting itself of rules and focusing more specifically on service.”
Grilliot also emphasized the importance of Hansen’s speech because of the University’s extensive international program. “Here at BGSU, we have about 600 international students and scholars from 88 different countries.”
“With the international students, it is important for us (faculty) to know how to interact better with the federal agencies,” Grilliot said. “We’re all trying to figure out who are the best people to contact.”
