Transforming the U.S. immigration system after 9/11 the impact of organizational change and collaboration in the context of homeland security

Abstract

The terrorist attacks on 9/11 led to a fundamental reorganization of the U.S. immigration structure. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was abolished in 2003 and its missions were transferred into three distinct components within DHS: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This thesis focuses on the perceptions of USCIS employees on organizational change and collaboration in the DHS immigration structure that was established in 2003. Effective organizational change is essential for an agency to carry out policies and execute its missions. Collaboration is also vital to USCIS since it works closely with ICE in combating immigration benefit fraud to strengthen the security of the legal immigration system. This thesis identifies areas for USCIS regarding future organizational change and enhancements to collaboration with a homeland security partner such as ICE. It further identifies areas such as collaborative competencies, trust and networks to improve collaboration between USCIS and ICE in targeting immigration benefit fraud.