Recommendation: The Director of USCIS should ensure that, in addition to USCIS's basic asylum officer training, all asylum offices provide pre-departure training on the credible and reasonable fear processes before their officers begin screening cases at the family residential centers. (Recommendation 1)

Agency: Department of Homeland Security: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
Status: Open

Comments: In commenting on a draft of our report, DHS reported that USCIS plans to develop a standardized pre-departure training and provide this training to all detailees prior to deployment to the family residential centers. DHS estimated that these actions would be completed by September 2020. As of August 2020, USCIS told GAO that the number of noncitizens processed under expedited removal has decreased dramatically as a result of Coronavirus Disease 2019. Therefore, details to the Family Residential Centers have largely been paused. USCIS noted that the Asylum Division is reviewing the credible fear and reasonable fear training requirements; working on an enhanced training module; and, developing a standardized pre-departure training by December 31, 2020. USCIS plans to provide the training to all detailees prior to deployment to the Family Residential Centers during calendar year 2021, should the details resume. Providing pre-departure training, in addition to USCIS's basic training for new asylum officers, would help USCIS ensure that officers from all asylum offices are conducting efficient and effective fear screenings of families.

Recommendation: The Director of USCIS should ensure asylum officers systematically record in USCIS's automated case management system if individuals receive credible fear determinations as principal applicants, dependents, or in the interest of family unity, pursuant to regulation or USCIS policy. (Recommendation 3)

Agency: Department of Homeland Security: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
Status: Open

Comments: In commenting on a draft of our report, DHS reported that USCIS planned to explore ways to modify its case management system so that asylum officers can record whether an individual received a positive credible fear determination as a principal applicant, dependent, or in the interest of family unity. USCIS plans to make any appropriate changes to its case management system and train asylum officers on these changes by December 2020. As of August 2020, USCIS reported that the agency remains on track to complete this work as planned, provided staffing is not affected by USCIS budget issues. Having complete data in its case management system on all outcomes of credible fear screenings at family residential centers would better position USCIS to report on the scope of either the agency's policy for family members who are treated as dependents, pursuant to regulation, or USCIS's use of discretion in the interest of family unity.

Recommendation: The Director of USCIS should collect and analyze additional information on case delays, including specific reasons for delays and how long they last, that asylum officers may face when screening credible and reasonable fear cases. (Recommendation 4)

Agency: Department of Homeland Security: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
Status: Open

Comments: In commenting on a draft of our report, DHS reported that USCIS will explore ways to collect additional information on credible and reasonable fear case delays in its case management system. USCIS plans to modify the system, as appropriate, to instruct users on the changes, and begin collecting and analyzing the information by December 31, 2020. As of August 2020, USCIS reported that the agency remains on track to accomplish this work by the end of calendar year 2020, provided staffing is not adversely affected by the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and USCIS budget issues. Collecting additional information in its automated case management system on case delays would provide USCIS with more readily available information and analyzing such data could help USCIS identify case delay reasons relevant in the current environment for officers conducting fear screenings and better position USCIS to mitigate the reasons for the delays and improve efficiency in case processing.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to, in coordination with the Director, USMEPCOM, establish a schedule to repair the internal EPTS database so that USMEPCOM can provide more regular and specific feedback to MEPS chief medical officers.

Agency: Department of Defense
Status: Open

Comments: In its comments to this recommendation, DOD concurred with this recommendation and said that the database was inoperable but that it was being reviewed as part of a multi-year information technology modernization effort to transition all military medical records to a new system known as MHS (Military Health System) GENESIS. They noted that the capability for USMEPCOM to conduct EPTS medical records review would be available within MHS GENESIS' business intelligence tools once implemented. When asked about the status of any actions taken to address this recommendation by preparing a schedule as to when this internal database would be repaired, DOD responded in January 2018 that USMEPCOM is unable to expend any funds to repair or replace the EPTS database system as this functionality is to be incorporated into the upcoming MHS GENESIS program. DOD officials confirmed that USMEPCOM's initial site testing will occur in FY 2019. While DOD officials are not able to repair its current internal database needed to complete its statistical analysis of these particular medical records, MHS GENESIS will be able to provide USMEPCOM with this capability. In August 2019, a senior DOD official confirmed that using MHS GENESIS is still the primary course of action to address this recommendation. He said that its implementation is planned for 2020/2021; however, there has been another delay and the department is waiting for a new implementation date to be established. In May 2020, this same official provided updated information that said MHS Genesis was delayed until 2021. Therefore, until further progress is made in implementing MHS GENESIS, this recommendation should remain open.

Recommendation: The Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics and the DOD Healthcare Management Systems Program Executive Office, develop a schedule of actions for deploying its new electronic health record system, MHS GENESIS, within USMEPCOM that includes key activities such as the major actions required to accomplish this effort, completion dates for all actions leading up to these events, and dates for the system's deployment to MEPS locations.

Agency: Department of Defense
Status: Open

Comments: In its comments to this recommendation, DOD partially concurred and stated that it began fielding MHS GENESIS and anticipated issuing a Full Deployment Decision (FDD) certification in 2018 to proceed to the remaining sites. Further, when asked about the status of any actions taken to address this recommendation, DOD responded in January 2018 that USMEPCOM's inclusion in MHS GENESIS is scheduled for approval in late fiscal year 2018 with initial MEPS site testing in fiscal year 2019. According to DOD, USMEPCOM officials are working closely with the program management officials and the MHS GENESIS team to develop information requirements for approval and inclusion in the MHS GENESIS deployment plan once FDD is granted. The estimated completion date for the roll out to all remaining MEPS locations is fiscal year 2021. In August 2019, a senior DOD official confirmed that the department's primary course of action for addressing this recommendation remains the use of MHS GENESIS. However, he said that DOD has experience a delay and in May 2020, he stated that MHS Genesis had been delayed until FY 21. Given that DOD is still in the process of deploying MHS GENESIS, we believe this recommendation should remain open until progress has been made in implementing the MHS Genesis within the MEPS locations.