One Face at The Border: Behind the Slogan

This report provides the first analysis of the Department of Homeland Security’s “One Face at the Border” (OFAB) initiative designed to integrate the immigration, customs, and agriculture functions of U.S. border management under the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Drawing from the author’s field research in Detroit/Windsor, San Diego/Tijuana, and Miami, as well as information gathered from over 80 interviews, the report analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the initiative and makes recommendations for improving this new unified border management effort.

The report finds that changes under OFAB have led to improved efficiency by reducing duplicative efforts, providing CBP with additional personnel and greater staffing flexibility, creating a single policy for inspection practices, and allowing CBP to access previously unavailable security-oriented technology. Despite these improvements, the report points to widespread concerns over the deterioration of specialized knowledge and expertise among CBP agents, the lack of procedural consistency among different locations and facilities, morale problems stemming from stricter employee standards, and the agency’s lack of transparency, program evaluation, and performance metrics. 

The report offers a number of recommendations to ensure that these challenges do not undermine CBP’s mission, including developing a new institutional culture and vision that emphasizes agency transparency and employee partnership, as well as investning in long-term infrastructure improvements.