Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may see their pay and job duties change as the result of a workforce reorganization, according to a Nov. 20 memo.

Over the years ICE officer duties in its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) have shifted toward investigating, locating and prosecuting criminals, and the pay and workforce structure should reflect that, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a memo to ICE acting Director Thomas Winkowski.

"[Immigration and Customs Enforcement] has accomplished this under a personnel structure that lags behind that of other federal law enforcement agencies and components, including other ICE components. This discrepancy hurts morale and presents other management challenges," Johnson said in the memo.

ICE must conduct a review of all the work done by its enforcement and removal operations officers and identify gaps in the current job series and find a classification that accurately reflects the work they do, Johnson said.

The changes stem from a Nov. 21 executive action by President Obama that would defer enforcement against noncriminal people living in the United States without legal permission and allow them to obtain work permits. The executive action will also step up border enforcement and centralize border security operations.

Obama also directed ICE to revamp its pay and workforce structures as the agency transitions into a more law enforcement and investigatory role.

Johnson said their work also involves close coordination and negotiations with domestic and foreign law enforcement agencies, as well as compiling and reporting intelligence. The review will also include supervisory positions.

"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," Johnson wrote.

ICE must also review premium pay for its officers and determine what changes the agency needs to make to adequately compensate those officers, Johnson said. The review will include administrative and statutory reform alternatives and whether ICE officers should be included in alternative premium pay systems.

ICE must complete all of the required reviews by February 2015 and announce its findings and proposals to Congress, according to Johnson.

The review will most likely result in ICE ERO officers being allowed to move to higher grades and receive pay equal to the skills and experience the job now requires, said Jon Adler, the president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. Overall it will be a positive step for ICE officers, he added.

The review was probably born out of the administration's efforts to control what they saw as an outdated overtime system, he said.

"I think the whole point is to ensure that the proper premium pay options are available and are commensurate with the demands of the position," Adler said.

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