Bring Us Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Hungry

A Promise of Better Service

Thousands of people endure long waits at INS
offices or at home for action on their immigration
application. Those waiting in line hope that
today they can talk with an INS official and file
an immigration application. Others wait at home
for months and even years to hear from the INS.
This is an unacceptable situation - the immigrants
to our country deserve better. By the end of 2003,
the INS expects to achieve a six-month average
processing goal for all applications.

In addition to securing the border, the INS is also responsible for processing immigration applications and petitions, such as "green card" or citizenship applications. Currently it takes on average 13 months for the INS to decide on an application for a green card. For someone to sponsor their relative to immigrate to the United States, it can take the INS anywhere from 19 to 43 months to process the request. Persons seeking citizenship wait 10 months on average.

The Administration is committed to building and

maintaining an immigration service system that ensures integrity, provides timely and accurate services, and emphasizes a culture of respect. Last year, the Administration launched a five-year initiative to provide quality service to all legal immigrants, citizens, businesses and other INS customers. To support this commitment, the INS has developed a five-year plan to eliminate the immigration benefit backlog, a component of which is to ensure the thorough screening of all immigration applicants for deficiencies prior to their being admitted into the United States. The plan also provides for a six-month processing standard for all applications. In 2002, INS will implement several information technology initiatives to improve customer service, including providing on-line filing of multiple immigration applications.

In addition, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the INS in achieving its mission, in November 2001 the Attorney General unveiled a restructuring plan for INS that will reform the agency's structure by separating its service and enforcement functions. The restructuring of INS fulfills President Bush's pledge to reform the agency by creating a clear division between INS' two vital missions-service and enforcement.

U.S. citizenship ceremony.

Election Reform Grants

The budget includes $400 million in 2003 for a new DOJ matching grant program to enable state and local jurisdictions to take advantage of improved voting technologies and administration, including voting machines, registration systems, voter education, and poll worker training. This new program is consistent with the recommendations of a report on election reform issued by a national commission headed by former Presidents Ford and Carter.

Strengthening Management

In 2001, the Attorney General established the Strategic Management Council (SMC) to provide direction and leadership on strategic planning, resource management, and performance accountability. This "corporate board" now oversees the Department's resources and provides direction and leadership for long-range planning. The SMC evaluates and prioritizes funding requests submitted by departmental bureaus and was instrumental in aligning the budget request with the Department's strategic goals and objectives. The Department is making progress in addressing various President's Management Agenda initiatives.

Initiative

Human Capital-The Department submitted a workforce-restructuring plan that was developed prior to the attacks of September 11th. The plan did not address the following core criteria: human capital planning; standards for internal accountability systems; or a comprehensive citizen-centered, de-layered organizational structure.

On November 8, 2001, the Attorney General announced a comprehensive reorganization to meet the counterterrorism mission. The Department's human capital strategy will be revised to address this new restructuring. The revised plan will ensure that the Department sustains a high-performing workforce that is continually improving in productivity and strategically uses existing personnel, tools, and technology. Specifically, the revised plan will: 1) identify skill gaps and deficiencies; 2) describe strategies to reward high performers and address low performance; and 3) develop an outsourcing strategy to accommodate the needs of displaced employees.

Competitive Sourcing-The Department has not completed public-private or direct conversion
competition for 15 percent of the government positions performing commercial functions.
The Department has a competitive sourcing plan for achieving the five percent goal in 2002
and 15 percent by 2003, equating to 190 positions, based upon a 2000 commercial activities
inventory of 1,264. Justice has increased the size of its commercial activities inventory from one
percent in 2000, to over nine percent of its total workforce. The Department needs to continue
to identify additional positions that could be added to its commercial activities inventory.

2001 Status

Initiative

Financial Management-The Department is not in compliance with the requirements of the Federal Financial Management Improvement Act. The Department also does not meet federal accounting standards related to property accounting. Since the Department has material system non-conformances, it cannot provide a clean assurance statement about its controls. Justice received a clean opinion on two of its financial statements (i.e., the balance sheet and statement of custodial activity) and a qualified opinion on the remaining statements for 2000, due to lingering accounting problems at the INS.

The Department has made progress in addressing issues identified by its auditor during the course of its annual financial audit. Justice expects to receive an unqualified opinion for 2001. In addition, DOJ will move forward to migrate its components from old financial systems to new systems that meet applicable standards.

E-Government-The Department has a number of significant and pervasive information technology security weaknesses. In spite of recent progress, significant work remains to carry out a capital planning process fully. Justice's timetable calls for all bureaus to have completed plans by the end of 2002. To ensure system compatibility and improve information sharing and security, Justice's enterprise architecture efforts must be a high priority throughout the Department.

Budget/Performance Integration-The Department does not have a performance plan that is tied to specific outputs, outcomes, or activities. There is no clear linkage between resource levels and outcomes.

On November 8, 2001, the Attorney General announced a series of goals and management initiatives that reflect the changed priorities of the Department. These goals include revising the Department of Justice Performance plan to include clear, consistent performance measures that support the Department's Strategic Plan. The Department will focus on revising its plan and on improving the linkages between resources and outputs/outcomes in budget formulation and execution. In addition, the Department will demonstrate how performance influences budget decisions.

2001 Status

1

In 2003, $615 million is transferred from INS to the Detention Trustee, and is included in the "All Other Programs" total. Adjusted to include the full share of accruing employee pensions and annuitants health benefits. For more information, see Chapter 14, "Preview Report," in Analytical Perspectives.

3

Savings from the Crime Victims Fund were $525 million in 2001 and $1,033 million in 2002.