All you need to stop and have a little respect. One of your fellow officers is dead and you do is complain about your duties are too much and things are not fair. Well if you people would have more respect for yourselfs and stop kissing ass and Stand up for what u believe u wouldn’t be in this misery. You should say what you feel and what’s on your mind and stop being cowards.

Respect on February 21, 2012 at 1:33 am

One final comment and then I am through here.

There is no use going around in circles anymore. I realize that folks are so entrenched in their ways that they actually accuse anyone who questions them as being in need of help. Isn’t that, in itself, a sign of psychological imbalance, delusions of grandeur, that one is infallible and everyone else is sick? I refuse to stoop to that game.

I do not condone or support Mr. Zeke Garcia’s use of violence whatsoever.

However, I have questioned what could have triggered Mr. Garcia, a nice, mild manner and reasonable man, to resort to such extreme violence; Particularly when I see headlines quoting ICE sources that they were not surprised by the news of Mr. Kozak’s shooting and that Mr. Kozak is an INS hater.

I sincerely hate to hear of anyone getting injured on the job, particularly as a victim of a gun attack in an incident of workplace violence. I do not believe in any way that Mr. Kozak deserved what happened to him.

And contrary to some self-serving accusations in here, I do not hate anyone at all.

The adversarial, inflammatory anti-INS undercurrent at ICE must be eliminated. These accusations denigrating a whole field of investigative endeavor and its former agents, are inaccurate and unfairly demeaning.

We need to have more respect for each other, not more name calling and ugly denigration adn self-serving accusations.

Been There on February 21, 2012 at 2:25 am

Morton should RESIGN Immediately if he was a decent man, but he’s not. You don’t have to be a genius to realize what the state of affairs is at ICE when agents are shooting at each other. The level to frustration and discontent is so high due to the lack of and incompetent leadership of Morton and his cronies.

Him and his cronies have run this agency to the ground. Morton and his smoke and mirrors will not last forever the house of cards will fall and I hope this is the result and the beginning. The situation will only get worse until the Agency is rid of him and his cronies.

Morale at ICE is at it’s all time low since 2003 when the agency was created. Good working agents are fed-up with Morton and how he’s running this agency, a vote of no confidence was issue by the Union two years ago and I’m sure we continue to stand by those findings.

ICE is just his private travel agency and stepping stone to a private sector job. Morton and his cronies are arranging trips to Europe and around the world, setting-up meaningless meetings so that he can travel around the world on this drinking binges with his buddies with door-to-door pick-up and drop off.

How many more agents have to suffer and die before anyone in this administration and the public realize what this man and his cronies are doing to this agency. Talk about fraud, waste and abuse. Where is the OIG when you need them?

This agent’s death should be a rallying call to the Union and all the hard working agents and enforcement officers out there to petition the ouster of Morton and the his minions from the front office. How many more of his drinking buddies will he promote into SES positions before someone realize they are not qualified.

Morale is at its lowest since 2003, more agents have quit, resigned and killed under Morton then any other administrator. The agency is ranked at the bottom quarter of a survey as one of the worst agency to work for.

This WILL BE Morton’s legacy. One of the worse ICE Administrator in this agency’s short history.

Please find this man an industry job so that he and his minions can all leave this agency!

Sober on February 21, 2012 at 3:52 am

TO: Been There

From: QTD

Lighten up, Francis! What are you going to do about the facts I present and you don’t like? Go off on me? Is going Immigration the new going Postal?

Part of this whole mess is guys like you that still get that warm and fuzzy feeling when you recall the old Immigration glory days. Now that you are in the major leagues and getting that GS-13/14 pay without doing any of the heavy work, is a benefit that you are defending now based all of that bullshit immigration work of “busting down doors and picking up illegals at 6:30 am”. Again, all of that is fine if you were still a GS-12.

I recently asked little Juanito, that illegal that still works at Chipotle, what his views were on this whole matter, and he stated, and I quote “la migra mucho caca, caca grande”. Not sure what he meant by that.

Now before you go “off”, I want to practice some of my own intervention, a constructive piece of advice that I am positive you can’t critique: You should go see that doctor someone mentioned, Dr. I.M. Kookie, a noted professional in his field, I’m sure he can help you, your insurance should cover it, and if it doesn’t, well just use some of that GS13 pay that you get for sitting on your ass all day.

Viva la migra mucho caca grande!

QTD on February 21, 2012 at 1:15 pm

STOP THE INSULTS!!

For the most part, we are LEO’s posting. Should it matter what agency or “Legacy” this or that? NO!! It should be about a TEAM who has suffered a loss. Anyway you look at it, it is a loss in the LEO community.

Sounds to me most of the posts come from “I’s” not team members. That’s the problem here; there are very few real “teams” out there anymore; we are not covering each other; it has become dog eat dog, or better yet, dog eat cat world. Make someone else look bad to make yourself look good. It should be about integrity and work ethic…and teamwork.

I agree with the comments concerning leaders vs. managers. Maybe those of us at the bottom of the food chain need to step up, get back to being a “team member” and fight for team leadership. Fight for each other, not against each other. Watch each others backs; if you’re on a team, it doesn’t matter if you’re the coach or the water boy, you all have an important part to play in the success of the team. We seem to have forgotten all about that, and we are all suffering.

oldpatrol on February 21, 2012 at 1:58 pm

Bring back ACAP! and repeal SAC LA’s “unofficial” don’t ask don’t tell policy: It’s not a choice people! Being lazy is a way of life and those of us who claim it shouldn’t be made to suffer hazing because of how we choose to live.

Be proud of what and who you are!!

Furthermore, it’s the govt and the govt is f’d up, so stop whinning about it. Employees die, get arrested, get fired. Up and down the line some supervisors treat their employees like crap, some supervisors use their position to steal and extort favors and give some employees preferred status and yet p*ss on others. It’s nothing new, sh*t happens all the time and it will keep happening

You’re not going to go an entire career without knowing an agent who has committed suicide or killed a spouse or committed a serious felony.

Agents are people, and people sometimes snap. The trick is to avoid the problem children. Stay away from the assh*les and from the agents who actually believe they’re accomplishing something (“soldiers for god” complex). Stay clear of the agents who take this sh*t so seriously that when they get f’d with or when they finally realize that management doesn’t care about them or their case they snap and start shooting.

And most important: Stay away from the idiots who are going to blow themselves up and take you with them.

NICE SAC & RAC on February 21, 2012 at 2:15 pm

Bring back ACAP! and repeal SAC LA’s “unofficial” don’t ask don’t tell policy: It’s not a choice people! Being lazy is a way of life and those of us who claim it shouldn’t be made to suffer hazing because of how we choose to live.

Be proud of what and who you are!!

Furthermore, it’s the govt and the govt is f’d up, so stop whinning about it. Employees die, get arrested, get fired. Up and down the line some supervisors treat their employees like crap, some supervisors use their position to steal and extort favors and give some employees preferred status and yet p*ss on others. It’s nothing new, sh*t happens all the time and it will keep happening

You’re not going to go an entire career without knowing an agent who has committed suicide or killed a spouse or committed a serious felony.

Agents are people, and people sometimes snap. The trick is to avoid the problem children. Stay away from the assh*les and from the agents who actually believe they’re accomplishing something (“soldiers for god” complex). Stay clear of the agents who take this sh*t so seriously that when they get f’d with or when they finally realize that management doesn’t care about them or their case they snap and start shooting.

And most important: Stay away from the idiots who are going to blow themselves up and take you with them.

Aloha Mr. Hand…

NICE SAC & RAC on February 21, 2012 at 2:30 pm

Also, let me add that there are some good supervisors, not all are bad.

NICE SAC & RAC on February 21, 2012 at 2:32 pm

And to quote that great sage Homer Simpson: “If you don’t like your job, don’t quit. Just come to work and do your job really half-ass.”

NICE SAC & RAC on February 21, 2012 at 2:35 pm

Bring back ACAP! and repeal SAC LA’s “unofficial” don’t ask don’t tell policy: It’s not a choice people! Being lazy is a way of life and those of us who claim it shouldn’t be made to suffer hazing because of how we choose to live.

Be proud of what and who you are!!

Furthermore, it’s the govt and the govt is f’d up, so stop whinning about it. Employees die, get arrested, get fired. Up and down the line some supervisors treat their employees like crap, some supervisors use their position to steal and extort favors and give some employees preferred status and yet p*ss on others. It’s nothing new, sh*t happens all the time and it will keep happening

You’re not going to go an entire career without knowing an agent who has committed suicide or killed a spouse or committed a serious felony.

Agents are people, and people sometimes snap. The trick is to avoid the problem children. Stay away from the assh*les and from the agents who actually believe they’re accomplishing something (“soldiers for god” complex). Stay clear of the agents who take this sh*t so seriously that when they get f’d with or when they finally realize that management doesn’t care about them or their case they snap and start shooting.

And most important: Stay in your cube and stay away from the idiots who are going to blow themselves up and take you with them.

Aloha Mr. Hand…

NICE SAC & RAC on February 21, 2012 at 2:47 pm

This legacy Custom/INS crap has got to stop. SAC Arnold was Legacy INS. Kozac was Legacy Customs, yet they seemed to get along fine. I know that this little nugget of truth is making some heads explode trying to justify the apparent contradiction, but it demonstrates that the legacy Customs/INS theory of workplace discord is garbage and is only espoused by a very small percentage of disgruntled employees. I think the key here is to understand we all have a mission which encompasses all of the Title 19, Title 8, and Title 18 authorities. Being butt-hurt about where you formerly worked is counter productive. Blaming it on fellow agents or denegrating them because of it is beyond stupid because, if I recall correctly, CONGRESS made the decision to abolish the legacy agencies and form ICE. There is nothing that any legacy agent could have done to prevent it, and neither lobbied for it. The only disdain I have toward other agents are those who choose to be slugs and not work or who are unethical. They are found among both “legacy” customs and INS alike, but are fortunately few and far between. Agents from both former agencies have, by and large, stepped up to the new mission, learned its new functions, and work their tails off daily to make this country and their communities safer places to live.

Whatever happened in that office that day will be thoroughly investigated, I have no doubt. We will see new policies come out that hopefully prevent it from occurring again. One fact remains; shooting your supervisor for anything shy of self defense due to fear of imminent death or serious bodily injury (which is highly unlikely and not the case here), is completely unjustifiable and reprehensible, because we do not try to murder people, even if we are upset. Kozak has been repeatedly portrayed as an a-hole here (and unfairly so because he cannot defend himself against anonymous baseless attacks). So what if he is? They exist in every agency and entity inside and outside the G. I hope we can all agree that what transpired was no solution to that, and it was wholly unjustified. We may never know exactly what precipitated this violence, but to argue that it was over legacy this or that, is simply juvenile.

My prayers go out to all involved in this horrible tragedy, including Garcia’s family. I hope we can know what made this otherwise good employee break down. I am grateful that there are good men like Arnold and Kibble who will make sure this is handled properly.

DVC on February 21, 2012 at 6:00 pm

Nice SAC and RAC
I really enjoy your writing and irreverent attitude . Although I disagree with your anti-INS stuff, it’s still funny.

I have taken the Liberty of re-posting some of your comments made under the moniker, MoneyFor Nothing from another DS thread. I hope your irreverent sense of humor helps to deflate some of the animus here. Sometimes we LEO’s tend to take ourselves and our job a little too seriously. Your angle on things helps me to take a step back from things…

Its been a very sad time for some of us.

MoneyForNothing on October 26, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Man, I don’t know what’s wrong you guys. All this complaining about supervisors and ASACs and SACS and directors. Who gives a f*ck who’s in charge. As long as the guy cranking out the paychecks is halfway competent, it’s all good. If your supervisor is f*cked up or retarded, that just makes it better for you.
All you have to do in this agency to get by is stay one step ahead of the most f*cked up guy in your office. When they’re more worried about agents losing guns, duecing their G-Rides, and “working from home” they won’t be looking for you, asleep in the cube!
Remember, these are good times. With the microscope on other people, there’s less of a spotlight on those who just wanna cruise. Now’s the time to relax, kickback, and work a little less. F*ckin’ base liberty!
All you guys with your: I work 14 hour days and weekends and I have 100 complex cases and I’m such a kick ass agent. If that’s you, you’re a f*cking fool. All you’re doing is working yourself to death for no reason, time away from your spouse and kids and enjoying the things you like to do. But I guess it’s a good thing you work so hard, so I don’t have to.
This is the greatest job in the world. We get paid over a 100,00 with a free car and the work’s not hard, it’s relatively easy. You shouldn’t be complaining about the idiots in charge, let them stay. The more efficient/better they try to make this agency, the more they f*ck it up and the less we have to work.
And when all this stuff with BS and JS pans out, and if they’re able to come back as agents, well, there’s a place for them. It’s called the Dumping Ground. All turds are welcome here. It was founded on the bedrock of INS legacy agents who were (are) the epitome of retarded, intoxicated, and incompetent. Lazy too. But every one of them could process an alien when it came down to it.
Aloha, Mr. Hand
MoneyForNothing on October 27, 2009 at 1:08 pm

Well Cool Blue, why don’t you tell us about your biggest case and your highest award. I bet I got you beat, and working on beating you now. Not that I want a complex case (or anymore awards), but I do what I’m told. Even though I’d rather come to work and just cruise.
Now I don’t know where you work, but we don’t have a p*ssy surveillance group in my office (not big enough). Each group does their own surveillance (with help from others), and we sure as hell don’t have any basement here.
How can agents expect to get anything done when they have to complete about six different reports and send them to everyone from the G/S to the Director of OI every time an agent wants to leave the office. Come on! Tell me we’re not micromanaged.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. But Cool Blue, you can’t honestly tell me you want to come to work and bust your ass every day. Unless you’re young and don’t have a family, then I guess I can understand it. But if I’m given a choice between hanging out with my kids or working, well I’ll take my kids every time!
The way I see it, you’re paid to do what you’re told to the best of your ability. Or, do just a little bit more than the biggest f*ckup in your office.
MoneyForNothing on October 27, 2009 at 1:08 pm

Been There on February 21, 2012 at 8:41 pm

DVC

In conclusion we see the ugly anti-INS ridicule and belittlement repeated throughout this comment thread and in earlier threads on the Debbie Schlussel website. If the Legacy Customs agents feel free to ridicule INS agent in a public forum as this, then why would agents behave any differently at the ICE/SAC/LA workplace where their boss has been ID’d as an “Open INS hater?”

If true, and Kozak was in fact an INS hater, subordinate agents would be encouraged to ingratiate themselves with their boss by fostering and indulging anti-INS sentiments. This would lead to the creation among the Legacy Customs agents of the elitist, superior attitude towards the Legacy INS agents that we have seen, above, repeatedly reflected in message after message in this comment thread. And which I see in practice at the Long Beach Office of ICE/SAC/LA.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has no category under which to file for “Inter Legacy Service Snobbery.” Therefore, if Zeke Garcia perceived that he was the victim of Kozak indulging in anti-INS discrimination or personal ridicule, in lieu of an official means to seek redress, Zeke Garcia may have felt honor bound to take justice in his own hands.

Kozak has legitimate authority to enforce employees’ fulfillment of the duties as specified in their job descriptions and work performance plans. Was Kozak exceeding his authority by indulging his anti-INS hate and being an asshole, subjecting Zeke to similar, demeaning, anti-INS ridicule that we see throughout this comment thread? Or, was Kozak discriminating against Zeke and demanding more of Zeke than he demanded of the other Group Supervisors?

If Zeke Garcia perceived ridicule or discrimination, in lieu of a means to “file,” Zeke Garcia may have felt honor bound to take justice into his own hands.

I am not saying that Zeke Garcia was justified. I am just saying that, in my opinion, given a workplace rife with this anti-INS, “attitude,” (and I’ve Been There), Kozak may have gotten just a little too “cute,” pushed the belittlement a little too far.

There are many folks with big egos in law enforcement. Folks who like to throw their weight around and exercise their authority to the maximum. But Zeke Garcia was one of the most humble, nicest guys that I knew.

Been There on February 22, 2012 at 9:22 am

Yeah, “never” Been There just keeps on going, and you notice that he asks a lot of questions, a lot of maybes, and has perpetuated the “Kozak an INS hater” misconception, assuming he was, not agreeing, did he “hate” his legacy INS boss? And who did the shooting anyways, not Kozak. Here’s a maybe: Maybe he didn’t like slackers, or incompetents….hmmmmm.

Here’s another: was Kozak indulging in some secretive conspiracy masterplan final solution to eventually transfer all legacy INS personnel out of his jurisdication, and be left with legacy Customs and newer ICE personnel? And maybe his SAC was secretly in cahoots with him because he also “hates” INS. All this is satire, for those of you who don’t understand, so don’t spreading this as a rumor, because it is not true.

I have not been convinced otherwise, and I have stated what I have experienced, all based on facts.

All that INS stuff was great for all those legacy INS at that level. Many legacy INS agree.

I have never been to the SAC/LA area, yet it echoes, as most SAC offices do, exactly what I have stated about the minor league INS. That is a major problem that cannot be ignored.

QTD on February 22, 2012 at 3:08 pm

QTD,

Thanks again for proving what I have said. You just couldn’t resist one last cheap shot, inflammatory, anti-INS remark. This is exactly the attitude and gratuitoust bs that we have to grow up and get over.

Been There on February 22, 2012 at 3:31 pm

WikiSnix,
I was only responding to DVC and QTD, and trying to put this thread to rest in the most even-handed way possible. I am trying to diffuse some of the animus here.

But as indicated by QTD, some are entrenched in their adversarial anti-INS cheap shot ways. Just can’t resist indulging that deep-seated hatred.

Been There on February 22, 2012 at 4:15 pm

A story from Phoenix Arizona, where an ICE supervisor shot himself, a 6 year old story, yet hits the same nerve, about the same issues.

Meltdown: The Phoenix branch of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau is Exhibit A of this country’s failed border policies.

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2006-11-16/news/meltdown/

Those who ignore history………

ICE Historian on February 22, 2012 at 10:05 pm

Fund for Zeke Garcia’s family.

http://www.gofundme.com/faycc

cantsay on February 22, 2012 at 11:22 pm

If I sounded anti-INS it was unintentional, and sometimes I like to say/post stuff just to irritate people. Everybody gets so worked up about this legacy agency stuff. It’s stupid.

Let’s bury our dead, learn from this incident, and move on. The tragedy is if we don’t learn from it and if we sit around feeling sorry for ourselves.

SAC LA has its problems (like any organizational component), but the problems can be fixed. The question is laid before us though: will somebody step up and take charge.

Maybe every SAC and above needs an advisor who’s not afraid to speak up, someone who is not a “yes” man. Somebody with no ambition for promotion or special position, somebody to tell these guys when something is f*cked up. But I don’t think anybody has the balls to institute a program like that.

No matter what happens or what anybody says, this is still the greatest job in the world and all of us ICE agents should be thankful we have this great job.

“Hummel from Alcatraz, out”.

NICE SAC & RAC on February 23, 2012 at 1:12 pm

Let’s see, I have been around this place for 20 or so years, OI has used me to translate for Spanish speaking aliens, and they are making the big bucks! So many of us have been left behind without a promotion because, well because we don’t have friends in higher places. This is not about INS or Customs or even ICE, it’s about a man that was killed for being pushed over the edge.

Do you really think one of us would pull out a gun for being written, this is way beyond that, this man was pushed and pushed hard until he snapped. It is time for an OI shakeup, the Agents have been treating the DEO’s and IEA’s like their little bit*h’s for years, you know who you are.

Police Department to ICE on February 23, 2012 at 6:02 pm

You are correct Mr. Truthful! Nobody mentions Zeke being a hard charger at all..Seems to tell you the story right? In fact I’m sure he would have never been in KK’s office in the first place if he was producing.
Whatever the case, there are many in the government like that. The solution?
1) Work harder, produce more (the logical answer but probably too much work)
2) Put in for a self-funded transfer (san diego office is close)
3) Drop back down to non-supervisory 1811

All of these options would have been better for everyone involved.

How can anyone side with Zeke? Pulling your service weapon on unarmed colleagues is Mas Puto. Ya f****ed up and got what you deserve.

jojo on February 24, 2012 at 12:11 am

Nice RAC & SAC,

I agree with your recommendation. For example in this case according to all reports Kozak was one an abusive, and dare I say personally belligerant managers in ICE. Maybe someone needed to advise him to adopt a less belligerant/offensive/abusive style.

Soft spoken Managers, lik Zeke and Perry Woo for example, can be just as effective.

In this case there is a paradox of one of the least belligerant men that I knew apparently attempting to murder a man reported to be one of the most abusive.

Maybe an advisor could have recommended that Kozakmeet Zeke for a drink after work, talk things over, assume a more brotherly role.

Been There on February 24, 2012 at 9:26 am

Jojo,

No one has supported this apparent attempted muder of Kozak by Zeke. This has been repeated over and over again. Please desist from putting words into people’s mouths.

Given all of the reports, above, howver, itt begs the question: “Did Kozak’s well known abusive style and role as an “Open INS hater,” play a provacative role?

What makes a man as non-belligerant as Zeke go against character to such an extreme? We would not ask these questions if we did not have all of these reports of Kozak’s abusive style and INS hater and INS Supervisor harrasser.

It appears to me that Zeke was not the only belligerant in that room. If Kozak provoked Zeke should Kozak be allowed to have done so with such dire consquences with complete impunity? The answer to that question is way above my pay grade. But it needs to be asked.

Kozak has already taken six rounds and I am not suggesting any punitive action against Kozak, even if he were found to have been a belligerant that had provoked Zeke. Again, the solution and preventative meaures are above my pay grade.

However, if Kozak is found to have provoked Zeke, I would hope that at least someone, somewhere sit him down and tell him to cool his jets and to be less abusive and belligerant. Anyone can be an abrasive bullying asshole. It takes a certain amount of inter-personal skill and patience, finesse, to be a natural leader like Kumar Kibble, or, Fred Walsh,

I repeat no one supports resorting to violence. Likewise no one should apporve of managers resorting to personal abuse, bullying and belligerance.

Been There on February 24, 2012 at 9:58 am

“Been There”, I am trying not to be insulting, but sometimes the truth can hurt: How can you reasonably comment that there is a correlation between the shooting an comments (mostly negative against INS) on this blog? Your speculation and inductive/deductive reasoning to arrive at that conclusion is absurd.

Comments on this blog come from all over the country, I am certain, that means that the views are coming from SAC offices all over the U.S. Sentiments on both sides are being posted here whether you like them or not, so stop trying to be the blog police.,

All of the facts are not in, I guarantee that. Even if they were they would not be on this blog coming from all over, they would come perhaps from one credible source, you do know what that is?

I you are trying to connote to any degree that any agent that criticizes INS is an “INS hater” and deserves to be in someones sights because they are being pushed over the edge, and therefore somehow justified in being shot is reprehensible, immoral, and irresponsible. That is the type of crap that should not be posted.

I stand by my earlier comments that I personally believe that INS is a caca, minor league agency, that has been brought to the forefront through its merger into “ICE” and is actually failing to adjust to the new demands of being in the major leagues with Customs.

Nothing you have posted has convinced me otherwise, in fact has just reinforced it.

Federal Agents do not shoot Federal Agents.

QTD on February 24, 2012 at 3:44 pm

QTD the repeated anti INS comments here, particulaly by Kozak supporters like you, show the true existence of an anti-INS bias in ICE.

QTD Immigraation Issues are always in the headlines and even Presidential Debates and Campaigns. Immigration Enforcement is about as major an issue to Americans as can be.

QTD when was the last time you ever even heard the word “Customs” or about any contraband smuggling as a major issue? I am not saying that it is unimportant, just that Immigration Issues are by far, more “Major League” more important to the U.S.

It is a shame that after the merger half of ICE does not have the stomach for it and “Don’t ask/Don’t Tell” has become the defeatist ICE rallying cry for Immigration Enforcement. A big joke.

In the past in Los Angeles INS District we responded to every single police call out and each was handld in a professional manner, 24/7, 7 days/week.

These calls often included hostage taking and kidnapping and human trafficking scenarios. That was just call outs, in addition to our investigative casework.

It is very tough, grueling work that require special language skills. I cannot blame the Legacy folks for balking at performing this work. However, to say it is unimprtant is total BS! Turn on. A TV, pick up a newspaper once in awhile! As an ICE agent you should be aware of our dereliction of this duty.

Been There on February 24, 2012 at 6:10 pm

QTD the repeated anti INS comments here, particulaly by Kozak supporters like you, show the true existence of an anti-INS bias in ICE.

QTD Immigraation Issues are always in the headlines and even Presidential Debates and Campaigns. Immigration Enforcement is about as major an issue to Americans as can be.

QTD when was the last time you ever even heard the word “Customs” or about any contraband smuggling as a major issue? I am not saying that it is unimportant, just that Immigration Issues are by far, more “Major League” more important to the U.S.

It is a shame that after the merger half of ICE does not have the stomach for it and “Don’t ask/Don’t Tell” has become the defeatist ICE rallying cry for Immigration Enforcement. A big joke.

In the past in Los Angeles INS District we responded to every single police call out and each was handld in a professional manner, 24/7, 7 days/week.

These calls often included hostage taking and kidnapping and human trafficking scenarios. That was just call outs, in addition to our investigative casework.

It is very tough, grueling work that require special language skills. I cannot blame the Legacy folks for balking at performing this work. However, to say it is unimprtant is total BS! Turn on. A TV, pick up a newspaper once in awhile! As an ICE agent you should be aware of our dereliction of this duty.

QTD is there some kind of coorelation between haw miserably you slam the INS, to how much favor you expect to curry with the Legacy Customs powers that be. You must be shooting for a SAC job!

Been There on February 24, 2012 at 6:17 pm

An HSI supe is dead, necessarily neutralized by another after he tries to assassinate another supe …

Other HSI agents openly praise the dead agent for trying to asassinate Kozak …

ICE ranks near the bottom of the barrel in terms of morale …

This agency thinks that lectures from OPR on integrity and training in VU on “togetherness” and “resilience” are the be all to end all …

Our managers are selected from those who can ingratiate themselves the most to superiors and put up phony, doctored stats …

The list goes on and on …

If you have more than 3-5 years to go in this outfit, and you aren’t actively seeking another job, you are either naive or a fool …

Any further discussion of this matter is pointless and fruitless …

If you think any amount of discussion will change what is, you are delusional …

Examine your respective consciousnesses and decide for yourselves what it is you want – either you live with this or you don’t, but don’t think for a blessed minute that anything will change anytime soon …

I wish you all the best …

StillShakingMyHead on February 24, 2012 at 7:50 pm

….fi a nice, level-headed mand like Zeke Garcia was not immune, no one is. But a job is not worth it.

Been There on February 24, 2012 at 9:48 pm

It is amazing how Been There and others keep touting the Legacy/Customs, Legacy/INS horn. I thought that I had seen everything with employees playing the race card, religion card, sex card, disability card, etc.

Maybe Been There and his cronies can lobby to get another protected category with the EEOC called Legacy INS and Legacy Customs. Then we can an get EEO Investigator on board to investigate those allegations (joke).

Fortunately, in a few years the Legacy INS and Legacy Customs people will all be retired and those Agents who came in since the merger (who are bi- INS and bi- Customs) will be running the Agency. But what if another Kozak comes out of that group? What will Been There and his cronies claim then? Were the cross trained ICE Agents bought off by Legacy Customs people? Were they brain washed by Legacy Customs people?

As a former ICE Agent (as opposed to being Legacy INS or Legacy Customs) I got to know many Legacy INS and Legacy Customs Agents that were smart, aggressive, brave and a pleasure to work with. I also met a lot of Legacy INS and Legacy Customs Agents who were jerks.

Stop feeling sorry for yourselves and move on. While you may not be a racist you sure sound like one by labeling thousands of good Agents throughout the country as being Legacy INS or Legacy Customs and haters of one another. Pretty soon you will be wearing a White Sheet.

Kozak would have been the same type of manager no matter what Legacy Agency he came out of. In other words had there been no merger and the Agency consisted of only Customs Agents his management style would have been no different. If you want to place blame on him for being an abusive manager place the blame on him as a person not because he is Legacy Customs.

Truthful on February 24, 2012 at 10:05 pm

Others, not I, have been have spewed any anti-Legacy INS BS. I only corrected the inaccuracies and noted the fact of the existence of an anti-INS Bias, as demonstrated by the many anti-INS comments.

Moreover, Debbie Schlussel’s sources, and not I, ID’d Kozak as an “open INS hater” and one who harrasses Legacy INS Supervisor. Hopefully the finders of facts will identify all of the aggravating factors so that these can be properly addressed.

Debbie Schlussel stated tha her sources naming Kozak as abusive are evenly divided between Legacy INS and Customs sources.

But Zeke Garcia was Legacy INS and the anti-INS commentors and Kozak supporters stepped up to take their tired, worn out cheap shots. I just noted that fact while correcting the inaccuracies in these cheap shots.

Been There on February 24, 2012 at 11:06 pm

Others, not I, have been spewing anti-Legacy INS BS belittlement. I only corrected the inaccuracies and noted the fact of the existence of an anti-INS Bias, as demonstrated by these many anti-INS comments.

Moreover, Debbie Schlussel’s sources, and not I, ID’d Kozak as an “open INS hater” and one who harrasses Legacy INS Supervisor.

Hopefully the finders of facts will identify all of the aggravating factors so that these can be properly addressed.

Debbie Schlussel stated tha her sources naming Kozak as abusive are evenly divided between Legacy INS and Customs sources.

But Zeke Garcia was Legacy INS and the anti-INS commentors and Kozak supporters stepped up to take their tired, worn out cheap shots. As stated, I just noted that fact while correcting the inaccuracies in these cheap shots.

Been There on February 25, 2012 at 12:17 am

Fact: 21 of the 26 SACs are run by Legacy Customs Agents

Fact: The top two career employees in the HSI chain of command are Legacy Customs (Kibble & Dinkins)

Fact: Two of the three Assistant Directors of HSI are Legacy Customs.

Fact: Problems with our top leadership are not being caused by legacy INS agents. There are none!

So, 25 of the top 31 positions in HSI are held by Legacy Customs Agents. Is that a reflection of the distribution of senior agents? At the time of the merger, INS had around 1,800 agents on the ground (authorized for about 2,300) and Customs had about 2,400 on the ground (authorized for around 3,000). Roughly a 60/40 split. Why doesn’t top management reflect that now?

Even if one were to agree with the position that Legacy Customs Agents were more well educated, experienced and trained, would that justify over 80% of the leadership today? Look, these are facts, there IS an anti-INS bias left in the agency.

I was detailed to HQ once for a period of time several years back. While there, some of my colleagues (who were then 14 and 15s) openly expressed their disdain for immigration work and former INS agents in front of me. They initially didn’t realize I was one of those lowly workers they described. These same folks make up some of our senior staff in the field and at HQ now. The bias against the work and the individuals exists, and it is real.

I understand that some former Customs agents and supervisors resent having to do or support immigration related investigations. After all, it’s not what they signed up to do. What I’ve never understood is the personal disdain they had for the former INS agents. It gets expressed in a number of ways, whether it is the insults dropped on this board or in legacy INS agents being overlooked for promotions or good assignments. I’ve also seen it when a neighboring SAC office wouldn’t support my SAC in large scale alien smuggling or immigration fraud investigations, simply because the leadership there detested immigration work. Now, for a human trafficking or worksite case pushed down from HQ they would do the work, but SAC to SAC cooperation…forget about it.

So then, was the environment described above a factor in what happened between Garcia and Kozak? Possibly, but no one really knows. I tend to agree with the assessment of Kozak that if he were a legacy INS agent he’d still be roundly hated. Which brings me to a point I made earlier on this thread: In the INS days we had some hideously vindictive, mean spirited, downright diabolical managers. Thank God we field agents had a Union, but the first line supervisors and up had nooooo such protections. I know some of my legacy Customs buddies laugh about our having had a union, but they’d be amazed at what management would try to pull. I’ve run into plenty of Kozaks in my life, while working from high school through to today. A supervisor has the distinct ability to make your life miserable, if he/she so chooses. YOU CAN NOT SHOOT THEM.

To QTD and other Legacy Customs Legends: When former INS guys respond to your insults, they’re not waxing wistfully about the old days, because frankly, the old days were a real grind. I think things are a lot better now that ERO does a lot of the heavy lifting (depending upon the SAC) with LEA responses. What galls Been There, George and myself are statements such as:

“INS didn’t do investigations (there were a few exceptions and these agents are now great ICE agents)” &

“INS is a caca, minor league agency, that has been brought to the forefront through its merger into “ICE” and is actually failing to adjust to the new demands of being in the major leagues with Customs.”

Do you guys really believe your own press? Really? Please. There was definitely a big chunk of INS investigations work that was not at a high level of complexity, such as responding to call outs from LEA’s, the criminal alien program or nonimmigrant overstay investigations. The truth is that alien smuggling/trafficking, worksite (the investigation, not the round up), and fraud were every bit as complex and challenging as Customs based violations. If you don’t think so, why don’t you ask your local AUSA’s that prosecuted both types and see what they say. Three years out of five prior to the merger my old INS office had the top case of the year with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The other two years DEA and FBI got it. Where was Customs, ATF, Secret Service, IRS CID, and the other vaunted Treasury Agencies? In the audience giving their applause.

Look, I know USCS did some great work for 200+ years. I worked with two guys from my local USCS SAC on and off for several years prior to the merger. They would bring me in to help out on any immigration angles to their cases. I think that, and some other relationships agents had prior to the merger, helped smooth things in or SAC, plus we had a great legacy Customs acting SAC in the beginning. It really shows what a difference leadership can make.

The bottom line is everyone should respect the work and effort their peers have made over the years, before and after the merger. I know some legacy Customs SA’s who were assigned to alien smuggling or immigration fraud groups in my SAC that would never spout off and say the work wasn’t complex, challenging, and tough. Likewise, some of my legacy INS colleagues went into financial or contraband smuggling groups and found the work also to be demanding and interesting.

BTW, over the years I have met or dealt with professionally all three of the parties involved here. It is a tragedy for all affected, and a wound to our agency. But we aren’t going to find a way forward with people degrading the effort and history of our colleagues. Finally, no one is going to split up this agency to make several hundred people on either side of the debate happy. It would cost way too much and Congress and the Administration don’t care about our squabbles, they just want the job DONE. We are not going to have some change in policy or political leadership overnight that is going to wave a magic wand and fix this, it’s up to us. WE have to learn to work together in circumstance and conditions that will never be ideal. We don’t need to make it harder on each other than it already is. Let’s move on, find some common ground, and keep arresting criminals. I know slapping the cuffs on some scumbag always makes me feel a little bit better.

please on February 25, 2012 at 12:23 am

Is this an ACLU issue? Ezeke was disabled and requested a transfer. kozak looks like a heart-less supervisor. What comes around goes around. RIP Ezequiel Garcia.

philipe on February 25, 2012 at 2:29 am

Guys, instead of fighting one another, let’s contribue to the Zeke Garcia fund for his familia. DS, how about posting the link on your website’s homepage? http://www.gofundme.com/faycc. Almost at the goal, just $7,000 short.

1811inLA on February 25, 2012 at 2:57 am

Folks,

Let’s get back to realty. Had Zeke survived the shooting, he would have been tried for attempted murder or aggravated manslaughter at the very minimum. His defense would have to have been insanity. To say that he did what he did because of supervisory abuse would have been laughable to a jury.

With all of the above rhetoric not a single individual has indicated how Kozak abused Zeke. Why can’t anyone provide an example of what Kozak did to Zeke? Why hasn’t anyone provided an example of what Kozak did to anyone? Does anyone even know the definition of abuse? It seems that the whiners believe that abuse is not giving a person what he or she wants. It seems that abuse is not getting a promotion, a cash award, a new GOV, a work location near home. Well, if that is abuse, I was abused throughout my 32 year career. Fortunately, I did not shoot any of the dozens of management officials who abused me. Everyone seems to have known what a nice guy Zeke was yet no one cant attest to the abuse he was gong through as a result of Kozak’s action/s.

Kozak will more than likely not return to the LA ICE Office. He will retire on disability or be transferred/promoted to a position in another office. Perry will more than likely also not return to the LA Office. Life will go on at the LA Office with or without Legacy INS/Customs management. Let’s be respectable to one another as well as the victims (including Zeke) and move on. There are a bunch of bad guys out there that are doing bad things and need to be caught (I am not referring to management officials). Let’s focus our efforts on dong the job.

Truthful on February 25, 2012 at 4:32 am

C’mon folks, REALLY? Posting this ongoing nonsense at 4:30 A.M.?

Here’s some Saturday morning food for thought over morning coffee …

1. A lot of people posting here says that legacy USCS guys are responsible for this. I also read a post that the “fish rots from the head down”. Need I remind you all that the last 2 SACs of the LA office (Schoch and Arnold) are both legacy INS. If it is true that the fish rots from the head down, then the past and ongoing debacle in the L.A. office rests squarely with legacy INS managers who had the helm of the ship for quite a few years in recent memory.

2. INS managers who were merged with Customs got immediate, uncompetitive upgrades in pay with no competition whatsoever, bumping out long-serving Customs employees and locking them out of promotions for years to come. Must be nice to go from 13’s and 14’s to 14’s and 15’s overnight. As someone I know put it (a legacy INS guy and a very sharp cat, I must add) – “With the merger, we INS guys hit the lottery; you Customs guys got AIDS” – a pretty damning statement from one of your own.

Look, folks – I’ve been in this game for 22 years: 12 as uniformed border (BOTH Immigration and Customs) and 10 as a Special Agent.

I’ve done both field work and HQ work.

At HQ, I had a front-row seat: luxury chair, complete with chili cheese dogs, fries, popcorn, candy and a large soda, to watching even high-ranking managers screw each other over for grade, position, prestige and power; the stories I could tell would turn you on your head. That said, if 15’s and SES’s are willing to eat each other, how much moreso are they willing to eat their young?

Yet, in the face of overwhelming evidence of criminality and corruption, these same people protect each other – Mangione was allowed to retire as an SES facing kiddie porn charges; Schoch and Silliman were allowed to keep their jobs despite the corruption and mismanagement – the list is endless …

And the so-called “career path”, allegedly crafted to eliminate the types of cronyistic promotion practices perpetrated under Marcy Forman, is violated on an almost daily basis; there is a lot of wiggle room in that document, and high-ranking managers at HQ and elsewhere constantly craft exceptions to it to promote friends, loyalists, etc.

But, as I and others have sadly learned, the powers that be do what they want to do, who they want to do it for and when they want to do it; if you are not in that “circle of like or trust”, you are shit out of luck.

And some of you are impressed by some of the leadership in this agency? It doesn’t take much to impress you, then. I am not impressed whatsoever. I have more respect for Mueller at the FBI and Bersin when he ran CBP than almost any SES in recent memory in ICE or HSI. Men like Mueller and Bersin have/had a command presence from the minute they walk/walked into a room – G-d help you if your shit isn’t/wasn’t straight with them. We promote people to the SES ranks as if it was water flowing over Niagra Falls. If the Army and Navy promoted officers to flag rank like we promote SES’s, our armed forces would be in VERY serious trouble.

It’s Saturday folks, and I am done – I’m going to enjoy my family today, BBQ and watch the NBA All-Star activities tonight on my big screen TV; the rest of this BS can wait until Monday.

As I said, either you live with this or you don’t, and, if you have more than 5 years to go with HSI, and you have a shot at another SA job with a smaller, friendlier agency (e.g. an OIG, with far less stress and family-friendlier hours) and don’t pursue it, you are either naive or a fool.

Again, I wish you all the best.

StillShakingMyHead on February 25, 2012 at 9:04 am

Once again truthful/deceitful, no one is seriously supporting Zeke’s apparent attempted murder of Kozak, so please stop being deceitful. In fact you first claimed it was premeditated attempted murder. You are all over the place.

We only know what has been reported and that is that Kozak is an abusive open INS hater who harrassed INS Supervisors. I did not report that, Debbie Schlussel quoted both her INS and Customs sources about Kozak. I have already repeated that too many times.

You can lead a horse to water…

I have already presented you the horses ass award for your wild speculation and unsupported pro-Kozak statements. Your apparent ass kissing currying favor over the dead body of an agent and one in the hospital is both . Sick and embarrassing.

Ironicly I am sure your efforts be rewarded by all of the other ass kissers who have groveled their way to power and groom like minded persons who will never chaallenge their weak spineless authority.

Let me congratulate you in advance for your unseemly promotion and be the first to call you “A TOTAL HORSE’S ASS,” who is only out for #1. Required reading for you and your ilk is “King Rat,N by James Clavell. It is about a WW II Allied POW who curried favor with the Japanese guards by betraying his fellow prisoners. It might even inpire you/propel you to go for a SAC job.

Been There on February 25, 2012 at 9:49 am

QTD, how goes the fake Pokeman card investigations? How about your “narcotics” investigations? Are you still sitting around an international airport waiting for CBP to find some dope in someone’s underwear? Then you can go pick it up and “process” it, write a ROI and call it an arrest, right? You obviously have no clue what you’re talking about. Why do you think enforcement of immigration statues now far outweigh your former customs statutes as prioritized by HQ? Did you know before the merger INS was the second highest represented federal agency in the JTTF after the FBI? Real “minor league”. I don’t think Customs even had anyone assigned to the JTTF’s until after Al-Quaeda destroyed thier New York Office. The investigation into the members of terrorist organizations is minor league too, right? Please come down off your high horse and get a clue. It is time to stop all the legacy garbage and focus on what is truly important. The agency is now a part of the Department of Homeland Security, and the mission is to protect the homeland and the American people from attack. And we are paid quite well to do it. If you think that’s minor league, then it’s time for you to retire.

Just Saying on February 25, 2012 at 12:26 pm

been there,

i have yet to see you answer any questions to back up the bs you are feeding everyone. compare all your posts, your a damn parrot that just keeps repeating the same bs until you actually believe your own lies.

if only you put half as much effort into your career as you have this blog…you could be super agent.

get a life. i am sure we will see 20 more posts from you in the next hour.

laughable on February 25, 2012 at 12:27 pm

Yes laughable, the reports from Debbie Schlussel and her souces, plus, my own personal experience with those involved, are all I have to go on.

At least I have some basis for my statements and am not just spewing inaccurate, anti Legacy venom, or, totally unsupported, self serving ass kissing drivel.

How does your comment advance our understanding of this incident?

Been There on February 25, 2012 at 1:34 pm

Laughable is correct. Been There keeps expounding the same rhetoric. He does not appear to understand the difference between rumor, hearsay and EVIDENCE. We keep hearing about the bad bad Kozak and yet not a single example of what Kozak did to anyone is provided by anyone. This would lead the prudent reader to believe that Kozak did nothing abusive and the whiners are just upset because Kozak recognized their inability.

I would bet that Been There does not even work for ICE. He is more than likely an agitator working for DS just to get the rest of us in an uproar. He is a fraud!!

By the way Been There, I AM LEGACY INS. The difference being that I don’t have to use my background as an excuse for being worthless.

Truthful on February 25, 2012 at 1:43 pm

StillShakingMyHead

I haven’t seen one comment blaming Legacy USCS guys for this. As far as we know Zeke Garcia attempted to murder DSAC Kevin Kosak.

However reports quoting both Legacy INS and Customs souces that Kozak is an open INS hater and one of the most abusive managers in ICE who harasses INS Supervisors begs the question to what extent that Kozak could have brought this upon himself? 

For example, no one believes that Zeke Garcia, a Group Supervisor with 24 years service as an agent, unprovoked, out of the blue, just went into Kevin Kozaks office to kill him.

INS Investigations agents and supervisors were long overdue for pay rate upgrades to put them in parity with the Federal 1811 workforce.  This was in the works. All ACAP work which had been holding the rating down, was being moved to DRO.

The other INS Investigative work, which the majority of INS agents performed, was rated as GS-13/14 level work, just like the other investigative agencies.

Upon the merger DRO assumed ACAP work eliminating the drag on INS Agent’s rating and any reason to keep Legacy INS agents at a comparatively lower rating than other federal agents.

No one really believed that the Legacy INS SAC’s of ICE/LA actually controlled things.  Both are young and inexperienced, dependent upon the DSAC and ASACs to actually run things from day to day.

In LA, Kozak was always perceived as the “Power behind the throne.” Nothing went to the SAC that did’t first go through Kozak.
The LA Legacy INS SACS were mere figure heads controlled by Legacy Customs folks from both above and below. They are totally “under the thumb” of Legacy Customs managers.

Most supervisors and higher managers disgusted me by the way the “mission” was entirely besides the main point of their existence: Promoting their own careers.

Been There on February 25, 2012 at 1:48 pm

Been There:

I don’t entirely disagree with what you are saying, but we do differ slightly on a couple of points …

To beg the question as to whether or not Kozak somehow “brought this upon himself” still justifies the underlying premise of attempted murder, and THAT is unacceptable for anyone, much less Federal agents.

Schoch got his job because of his and his family’s connections to Bush 43 – for anyone to be an SES below age 40 and running a major SAC office is absurd almost to the sublime, and it still happens today.

Arnold is a fine man – I knew him at HQ: He is highly competent, efficient and a man of deep faith and conviction, and I don’t think anyone owns him. He took a thankless job in L.A. when he darn well have stayed in St. Paul as the SAV and gotten his SES as did all SACs except Honolulu.

Regarding the $$$ and who gets paid what – I am beyond that personally and professionally, but INS agents did make out in many ways while Customs agents took a hit.

I stand behind all else what I have said.

StillShakingMyHead on February 25, 2012 at 2:27 pm

Truthful, I am in total agreement with your assessment and post-shooting analysis.

And for those that are still ridiculously adamant that somehow, someway an Agent’s shooting by another Agent may have been justified think about the next time you have a disagreement with a fellow agent, or you have a disagreement with an agent from a different agency, how is ICE now going to be perceived as settling an argument or disagreement?

All of that firearms training that has been hammered into agents from day one on the job is out the window? Use of Force continuum, discharge of firearms, lethal force (in this case against an unarmed agent), all out the window?

It is not a valid argument to those that are claiming to be the dedicated law enforcement professional, and are defending their “legacy” agency on this blog. Look for memo’s and policy requiring agents to be armed and wear body armor while on duty.

It is a sad state of affairs for DHS/ICE/HSI.

QTD on February 25, 2012 at 2:43 pm

The Zeke Garcia whom I knew was one of the nicest, humblest, level-headed guys that I knew. He would be one of the last persons I would have expected to commit this apparent attempted murder. It is stunningly out-of-character.

Questioning whether Kozak contributed to the provocation of this incident, is not to say that Zeke Garcia was justified whatsoever. Given Zekeand’s calm,reasonable personality it is unlikely that, absent provocation, Zeke would have resorted to murder and certain death.

Hopefully the investigatiion will uncover to waht extent, if any, Kozak provoked Garcia, or, to what extnt, if any, Garcia was violence prone.

It appears to me there were two belligerants involved. Kozak and Zeke.

Been There on February 25, 2012 at 2:52 pm

Schok was first groomed by inS District Director Schiltgen who passed over many, many far more experenced and senior agents to promote Schok. I didn’t know he had family connections as well. I liked him very much.

I do not say that Arnold is a compromised man “owned” by anyone. I just say that he must defer to the influence of HQ superiors, and to a lessor extent, to his DSAC and ASACs, all of whom are Legacy Customs.

The self-funded USCS Investigations had a very cool mission. By its vey nature Customs sought money, duties, etc. And it’s seizures help fund it.

Congres, not the INS forced the merger but INS agents have been mase to bear the brunt of Legacy Customs anger that their agency was merged with INS.

Been There on February 25, 2012 at 3:05 pm

Since QTD and Truthul (Deceifull) insist on being cute and distorting and twisting words, lets state this one last, final time.

No one supports attmpted murder. Short of self defense there is no justification for attempted murder. Do you got that QTD and Truthful?

It is unlikely that, out of the blue, and w/o provocation, Zeke Garcia went to Kozak to commit premediataed murder.provoked Zeke Garcia to attmpt to murder Kozak.

In view of Debiie Schlussel’s reports from her sources that Kozak was one ofthe most abusive managers in ICE, and open INS hater and a harasser of INS Superviors, it appears that Kozak could have provoked Zeke Garcia.

That is NOT to say that Zeke Garcia was justified.

Been There on February 25, 2012 at 3:31 pm

Folks,

This will be my last entry. Individuals like Been There with his hate mongering and self pity have driven this blog into the realm of insanity. He and others like him appear to be too far gone to even realize that they are nothing but bigots.

Been There your hatred is unfortunate. You blame others for your situation. You believe that an injustice has been done to you because you are Legacy INS. You cannot admit that you have not received the recognition you believe you deserve because of your own actions and not the actions of others.

You repeatedly refer to what a good friend you were to Zeke and how well you knew him. If this is true did you ever consider that your “hate mongering” may have encouraged him to do what he did? Did you ever speak to him as a friend and assist him in using the proper channels in his situation? Did you yourself ever stand up for the so called injustices that you had to endure? I think not.

To Zekes family I wish you the best of luck in getting through this difficult time. To Kevin, I wish you the best of luck with your rehabilitation. To Perry, I wish you the best of luck in moving forward and placing this unfortunate situation behind you. To those of you at ICE who consider yourselves ICE Agents and not Legacy/INS/Customs, I praise you and hope that you can keep ICE on the correct course doing its mission.

May God bless.

Truthful on February 25, 2012 at 3:48 pm

I’m an ICE/HSI agent (legacy Customs) who has been an 1811 since 1983, and am facing mandatory retirement at the end of the year. I put in for supervisor numerous times, and was passed over despite an excellent record of accomplishment, many awards, and high test and interview scores, which tells you that politics has always played a role in both legacy agencies well before the creation of DHS.

All this Customs vs. INS infighting troubles me because each agency had it’s good and bad points. The real villans in this discussion are the idiots who forced two totally different agencies to merge in 2003, despite their having absolutely NOTHING in common. INS had major problems, many of which related to the fact that immigration enforcement has always been politically driven, with different agendas to follow depending on who controlled the White House and Congress. It is a thankless job, and one that I never signed on for, or wished to do. Many good INS agents came over to Customs in the 1980s and 1990s, and we were happy to have them. I wish all my colleagues the best of luck in the future, because they’ll have to endure this mess for the rest of their careers, while I’ll be retiring and won’t have to deal with this for much longer.

ICEd on February 25, 2012 at 3:55 pm

Just another thing to pore over tonight, for all y’all who lament that this agency is overrun by Customs folks …

Schoch was almost Dinkins, had he not f**ked up; how different the agency would have looked had Schoch taken the reins – who he would have promoted, both at HQ and for SAC positions.

And, if you missed it yesterday, John Woods, a legacy INSer, was promoted to AD for Nationsl Security, no insignificant fear; he is very high up on the food chain at this point, and I am quite sure that other legacy INS folks will be appointed to AD and DAD positions in the not-too-distant future. Jim Spero (former DAD for Division 3 and now SAC Buffalo) is almost certain, at his young age, to return to the “Q” and assume a very high level position on the 11th Floor at the PCN, as will Jim Hayes (former head of ERO and bid SAC New York), who I will bet the mortgage and my TSP on, will get Kumar’s job when he rotates back to SAC Denver later this year.

So, for all of you legacy INS folks who lament how Customs is in control of this agency, that might be true today – I assure you, it will not be true for long.

StillShakingMyHead on February 25, 2012 at 8:11 pm