U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has taken important steps through process improvements and additional systems checks to improve the detection of fraud while processing requests for immigration benefits, but could make additional improvements to safeguard and improve the process, the DHS inspector general has said.
After reviewing policies related to fraud detection in the immigration benefit caseload, interviewing 147 managers and reviewing 256 survey responses, the IG identified a range of possible improvements to practices in areas such as performance measurement, training, and collaboration between adjudications and fraud detection staff.
According to the report, OIG-12-24, while USCIS has increased fraud detection resources and training, additional changes would help immigration service officers improve fraud detection and the agency could take further steps to insulate the benefit adjudication process from internal and external pressures.
