The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) celebrated major recognition at the 8th Annual Service to the Citizen Awards, with three separate awards for innovation and impact. The DHS Customer Experience Directorate (CXD), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Information Technology (OIT) Cargo Systems Program Directorate (CSPD) Team, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Digital Operations Modernization each earned awards for transforming federal service delivery, strengthening national security, and generating measurable economic impact.
Together, these initiatives reduced millions of hours of administrative burden, generated over $200 million in additional daily revenue, and improved government services for millions of Americans.
DHS Customer Experience Directorate: Building a Customer-Focused Federal Culture
The DHS Customer Experience Directorate (CXD) won the “Building a Customer-Focused Culture” category award, setting the standard for how customer-first principles can reshape national security operations.
2024 Highlights from DHS CXD:
- Reduced public burden by 10.5 million hours in one year, totaling 31.5 million hours saved across two years
- Trained 25,000+ employees on customer experience and accessibility best practices
- Streamlined TSA PreCheck®, keeping wait times under nine minutes for more than 21 million travelers
- Introduced new procurement tools, including a CX Strategic Sourcing Vehicle
By embedding customer experience practices into DHS operations, the directorate proved that government services can be efficient, secure, equitable, and accessible at scale.
CBP Cargo Systems: Trade Technology Driving $200M in Daily Revenue
The CBP Cargo Systems Program Directorate earned recognition for innovation in its Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system, a critical platform for U.S. trade security and economic growth.
ACE System Achievements:
- Processes $3.3 trillion in annual imports across 100,000 daily transactions
- Supports 49 federal partner agencies managing trade and compliance
- Implemented 13 complex trade-related presidential actions in 2024–2025 without disruption
- Generated $200 million in additional daily revenue through system modernization
This award highlights how federal IT modernization at CBP strengthens both border security and the U.S. economy by ensuring seamless trade flows and cybersecurity compliance.
USCIS Digital Operations: Modernizing Immigration Services
The USCIS Digital Operations Modernization Team, led by Michael Catania, was recognized for delivering secure, high-volume immigration services during record demand.
USCIS Technology Breakthroughs:
- Successfully processed 780,000 H-1B visa applications in 2025
- Integrated end-to-end business flow monitoring that unified 10 teams
- Launched real-time system oversight with automated alerts and faster issue resolution
- Rolled out new biographic monitoring tools in just one week to meet White House directives
These advancements strengthened system resilience, security, and applicant experience, ensuring USCIS could meet historic demand while maintaining trust and efficiency.
DHS Innovation Shows the Future of Federal Service Delivery
The recognition of DHS CXD, CBP, and USCIS – in addition to CBP’s Chief Digital Transformation Officer James McCament receiving the Government Executive of the Year Award – at the Service to the Citizen Awards underscores the growing impact of federal digital transformation. Together, their efforts demonstrate how data-driven innovation and customer-centered design can simultaneously enhance national security, economic strength, and public trust.
Since its launch, the Service to the Citizen Awards has recognized more than 1,600 government innovators. This year’s DHS awardees represent how emerging technologies, cultural transformation, and modernized operations are reshaping how the federal government delivers for the American people.