ICE announces expanded list of science, technology, engineering, and math degree programs

Qualifies eligible graduates to extend their post-graduate training

WASHINGTON - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today published an expanded list of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degree programs that qualify eligible graduates on student visas for an Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension-an important step forward in the Obama administration's continued commitment to fixing our broken immigration system and expanding access to the nation's pool of talented high skilled graduates in the science and technology fields.

The announcement follows President Obama's recent remarks in El Paso, Texas, where he reiterated his strong support for new policies that embrace talented students from other countries, who enrich the nation by working in science and technology jobs and fueling innovation in their chosen fields here in the United States, as a part of comprehensive reform.

By expanding the list of STEM degrees to include such fields as Neuroscience, Medical Informatics, Pharmaceutics and Drug Design, Mathematics and Computer Science, the Obama administration is helping to address shortages in certain high tech sectors of talented scientists and technology experts-permitting highly skilled foreign graduates who wish to work in their field of study upon graduation and extend their post-graduate training in the United States.

Under the OPT program, foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges and universities are able to remain in the U.S. and receive training through work experience for up to 12 months. Students who graduate with one of the newly-expanded STEM degrees can remain for an additional 17 months on an OPT STEM extension.

Read More >>

CBP IT Chief Charles Armstrong Wins Federal Computer Honor

Washington – U.S. Customs and Border Protection is pleased to announce that Charles R. Armstrong, CBP assistant commissioner and chief information officer for the Office of Information and Technology, has been named one of the top Federal Information and Technology (IT) executives by Federal Computer Week Magazine. Each year, this industry publication names 100 top IT leaders in government, industry and academia who were found to be agents of change with a commitment to excellence and a sense of devoted duty to public service.

“Everyone knows that technology makes the world go ‘round but getting the right information to the right people in an effective and timely manner makes all the difference in the world,” said Armstrong. “This is the second time I have received this prestigious honor and once again I credit my talented IT team who work to maintain a vision of creative excellence and commitment as we serve one of the hardest-working agencies in federal government, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.”

Selected by a panel of government and industry leaders, Armstrong was recognized for his development of efficient ways for CBP to better manage and use information technology to share in the critical CBP mission of preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the country and protecting our homeland. CBP is the largest law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security with more than 58,000 employees working in locations throughout the nation and overseas.

Armstrong brings over 26 years of leadership and technology experience to the operation and management of IT. He previously served as deputy chief information officer for DHS, where he championed IT initiatives for improving the agency’s secure information sharing capabilities. Beginning his federal career with the U.S. Navy Department and working for the former U.S. Customs Service, Armstrong is a Harvard Senior Executive Fellow and was also named previously as one of Federal Computer Week Magazine’s Federal 100 in 2001.

Supervisory Border Patrol Agent George Bressler, was also named as one of the top 100 IT leaders in government for successfully mobilizing representatives of 150 organizations — including state, local, federal and tribal government agencies — as lead coordinator for the Operation Golden Phoenix anti-terrorism training exercise in San Diego in July 2008. The drill, which also included private organizations, simulated a biological threat at the border that evolved into a major medical disaster. The goal was to quickly mobilize cross-organizational collaboration. Golden Phoenix used new tools and technologies, including the Common Alerting Protocol for exchanging emergency alerts and messages.

The CBP Office of Information and Technology is responsible for agency software development, infrastructure service and support, tactical communications, CBP laboratory scientific services, research and development functions and IT modernization initiatives that support CBP.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Read More >>