Following President Barack Obama's immigration executive actions, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson issued a memorandum affecting the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

As Johnson wrote, ICE's priority mission has mainly been focused on national security and public safety, and its Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) had shifted its strategy towards the investigation, identification, location, arrest, prosecution and removal of criminal and other aliens who "present a danger to national security or threaten public safety." Johnson, however, recognized the ICE ERO personnel structure strategy "lags behind" other federal law enforcement agencies, even those under ICE.

"This discrepancy hurts morale and presents other management challenges," Johnson wrote.

With Obama's immigration executive action, Johnson announced the DHS will focus on ICE ERO's strategy and made changes to its workforce and personnel pay structure. In conjunction with the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO), ICE ERO will conduct an "expeditious" review of the work ERO officers perform. The purpose of the review is to identify gaps in the current job system and support a classification that will "accurately" reflect ICE ERO's realigned mission toward national security and public safety.

"This review will also identify ICE ERO officer positions that supervise, lead, or perform homeland security work through the enforcement of federal criminal and civil laws and will be used to update classification of all ICE ERO officers as required," Johnson said. "It is anticipated that any changes in job classification structure for ICE ERO employees will permit management to make more flexible and efficient staffing and workload decisions and allow for outstanding performers to rise through the ranks."

ICE ERO and the OCHCO are also tasked to review the premium pay coverage for ICE ERO officers. This review will determine if compensation for ICE employees should be changed or adjusted based on the work they perform.

"This review should include an evaluation of administrative and statutory reform alternatives, including Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP), that may be required to improve the current ICE ERO premium pay system, as well as an assessment of the potential benefit and justification for including ICE ERO officers in alternative premium pay systems," Johnson wrote.

Johnson said he will recommend the Obama administration to "pursue and prioritize regulations and legislation" to address the job realignments and premium pay structure.

Johnson's timeline for the memorandum included December for the review to be conducted as well as its submission for analysis and recommendation to the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget. In January 2015, the final recommended personnel reforms for ICE ERO officers should be completed while February will see the announcement of the recommended personnel reforms and the required statutory and resource proposals to Congress.

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