CBPCBP IA Operation Hometown reduces violence and corruption: Tomsheck shuts it down -- Pt. 5
Operation Hometown appears to be yet another example in a series of programs at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) demonstrating blatant dysfunctionality and mismanagement within the Department of Homeland Security. Meticulously designed to target border violence and corruption among CBP employees, Operation Hometown was labeled a success in reaching its stated objectives. CBP Internal Affair’s (IA) James F. Tomsheck,however, shut the program down. As Congress and President Obama debate various aspects of a new federal immigration policy,few politicians are willing to acknowledge the serious problems at CBP Internal Affairs – but they should, as these problems may directly impact the success of any or all new immigration reforms.
Operation Hometown appears to be yet another example in a series of programs at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) demonstrating blatant dysfunctionality and mismanagement within the Department of Homeland Security. Meticulously designed to target border violence and corruption among CBP employees, Operation Hometown was labeled a success in reaching its stated objectives.
CBP Internal Affair’s (IA) James F. Tomsheck,however, shut the program down.
As Congress and President Obama debate various aspects of a new federal immigration policy, dysfunctionality and corruption at CBP Internal Affairs appears to remain the bull in the Department of Homeland Security’s china shop that few politicians are willing to acknowledge. This includes many of the Democratic and Republican presidential primary candidates who, with each passing week, roll out media campaigns with strong words about supporting immigration reform, but little mention of crucial mismanagement failures in CBP that may exclude such changes.
In spite of the rhetorical fight to seize the immigration high ground, there appears to be a pervasive silence regarding general dysfunctionality at CBP. In this regard CBP is vital to any immigration reforms and related issues because the agency, now with more than 60,000 employees, is tasked with maintaining operational control of the Mexican border. This control at the Mexican border includes illegal immigration as well as national security involving illegal drugs and potential terrorists. CBP IA’s job under Tomsheck is to provide oversight of all CBP employees to make sure they, and all programs they operate, meet every legal standard, policy, and procedure in place while also being productive and efficient.
In a recent interview on “60 Minutes,” DHS secretary Jey Johnson did not specifically address the myriad failures at CBP. He did state, however, that while there were problems, he believed all agencies at DHS were moving in the “right directions.” Carefully skirting the term dysfunctionality, Johnson referred to multiple problems he inherited at DHS as “inefficiencies.”
“Do we have some inefficiencies that need to be eliminated?” Johnson comments in his interview. Johnson then quickly answers his own question with a resounding, “Absolutely” (Lesley Stahl, Script, CBS News “60 Minutes,” 5 April 2015).
