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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 159 / Friday, August 20, 2021 / Proposed Rules
TABLE 7ESTIMATED USCIS FY 2022 FUNDING REQUIREMENTS BY VOLUME OF CREDIBLE FEAR REFERRALS
Continued $ in thousands 75k cases
150k cases
300k cases
Facilities
Physical Security
IT Case Management
Other Contract/Supplies/Equipment

6,635
623
12,500
3,574

17,606
1,654
12,500
5,432

40,865
3,839
12,500
6,937

Total

179,820

438,200

952,379

Source: USCIS Analysis from RAIO and OCFO, May 19, 2021.

In FY 2023, USCIS estimates costs between $164.7 million and $907.4
million, with a primary estimate of $413.6 million, as shown in Table 8.
The reductions are mostly attributable to non-recurring, one-time costs for new staff and upgrades to IT case
management systems, although a decline in costs pertaining to other contracts/supplies/equipment is also expected. The largest expected cost decrease is for IT case management, which is estimated to decline from $12.5 million in FY 2022 down to
$4.375 million in FY 2023. Meanwhile, costs for interpreter and transcription services, facilities, and physical security are expected to rise in FY 2023 to factor in resource cost increases. For FY 2024
through FY 2031 of implementation, DHS expects resource costs to stabilize.

TABLE 8ESTIMATED USCIS FY 2023 FUNDING REQUIREMENTS BY VOLUME OF CREDIBLE FEAR REFERRALS
$ in thousands 75k cases
150k cases
300k cases
A Staffing
Payroll
Non-Payroll
B General Expenses
Interpreter Services
Transcription Services
Facilities
Physical Security
IT Case Management
Other Contract/Supplies/Equipment

$133,427
122,753
10,674
31,267
6,813
9,647
6,834
642
4,375
2,956

$337,047
309,758
27,289
76,554
19,710
27,498
18,134
1,704
4,375
5,133

$766,159
703,852
62,307
141,249
45,504
38,483
42,091
3,954
4,375
6,842

Total

164,694

413,601

907,408

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Source: USCIS Analysis from RAIO and OCFO, May 19, 2021.

To estimate the costs for each category itemized in Tables 7 and 8, USCIS
considered the inputs for each. On average, USCIS expects to hire the majority of new staff at the GS13, step 1 level, and most of those hired will serve as asylum officers. As stated, these officers will be adjudicating statutory withholding of removal and withholding and deferral of removal under the CAT, so their pay will be higher than the current asylum officer pay, which is at a GS12 level.
Additionally, USCIS assumes step 1
because these employees are expected to be new to the position. Payroll costs also include Government contributions to non-pay benefits, such as healthcare and retirement. While payroll is the greatest estimated cost to hiring staff, non-payroll costs include training, equipping, and setting staff up with resources such as laptops, cell phones, office supplies, etc. For example, asylum officers are required to attend and successfully complete a multi-week residential training at a Federal Law
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Enforcement Training Center FLETC
as a condition of their continued employment. The estimated cost per student including FLETC enrollment costs, travel, etc. is approximately $7,000. The cost of training would apply to any new asylum staff with officer in their title. To fully furnish and equip new employees, USCIS estimates a cost of $3,319 per asylum employee. Costs for new equipment would be largely commensurate with the increase in staffing levels.
In addition to costs associated with hiring new staff, DHS anticipates that it will need to both increase funding on existing contracts and procure new ones. As a result of this proposed rule, the need for interpretation services will increase as the number of asylum interviews USCIS performs rises.
Current interpreter contracts cannot absorb this expected increase. Using current contracts, USCIS applied the current cost model to the estimated increase in case volumes in order to estimate costs. The facilities and
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physical security estimates were similarly based on current cost models that were expanded to account for additional employees. Additional contract support will also be needed for transcription services to create a written record of the asylum hearing, which staff are not currently employed by USCIS. To create transcription service estimates, USCIS applied EOIRs current cost model to the estimated increase in case volumes. DHS also anticipates costs associated with general expenses associated with miscellaneous contract, supplies, equipment, etc. commensurate with the increase in staff.
The timing of these costs will depend on the hiring timeline but are expected to commence in the first year. DHS
recognizes that if it takes more than one year to hire and equip asylum employees, costs may instead be experienced in later years.

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