ICE recognized for its achievements and selfless service in numerous award categories at Secretary’s Awards Ceremony

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) received awards in nearly every category of the 2015 Secretary’s Awards that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson, Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and DHS component leaders presented Nov. 3 at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

Secretary Johnson resumed these awards last year to appropriately recognize the achievements and selfless service of DHS personnel who preserve our freedoms and protect the homeland with integrity, vigilance, and respect.

During the ceremony, Secretary Johnson and Deputy Secretary Mayorkas honored employees for their contributions supporting law enforcement and protection activities including the 70th United Nations General Assembly and the historic visit of Pope Francis to the United States, promoting an equal and diverse work environment, and helping the Department eliminate waste and combat fraud.

Members of ICE received awards in the following categories:

Secretary’s Meritorious Service Award, the second highest category of awards, which recognizes exceptional leadership or service distinguished by achievements. This award recognizes superior performance through remarkable accomplishments, business improvements, or notable resourcefulness and diligence that significantly improved the effectiveness of the Department in one or more program areas. ICE was recognized for the following:

• The ICE Repatriation Team for collaborating with international partners to bring to justice multiple foreign criminals.
• The Visa Security Program for outstanding innovation and collaboration to better secure sensitive information across the Department.
• General Vides Casanova Litigation Team for successfully investigating, prosecuting and removing a high-profile Salvadorian national from the United States.
• U.S.–Canada Land, Rail, Maritime and Air Preclearance Agreement Team for superior public service and outstanding innovative leadership in negotiating the U.S.-Canada Land, Rail, Marine and Air Preclearance.

Secretary’s Unity of Effort Award, which recognizes outstanding efforts to significantly improve efficiency and effectiveness across the Department. This award acknowledges efforts within the Department and with our interagency partners to further the Secretary’s Unity of Effort initiative. ICE was recognized for the following:

• Ebola Worldwide Response for ensuring the safe and uninterrupted travel of passengers into the United States and safeguarding the Department’s frontline workforce during the Ebola epidemic.
• U.S. Southern Border and Approaches Campaign Efforts for contributing to the establishment and execution of the DHS Southern Border and Approaches Campaign, the Department’s key border security effort to strengthen of the collective operational efforts across the Department. The establishment of these Joint Task Forces continues to have an extraordinary impact on the Department’s ability to secure and manage our borders.
• United Nations General Assembly Team for excellence in planning, administrative and logistical support and flawless execution of operations during the 70th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
• 2015 Papal Visit for excellence in planning, administrative and logistical support and flawless execution of operations during the visit of Pope Francis to the District of Columbia, New York and Philadelphia.

Secretary’s Award for Excellence, which recognizes outstanding achievement or innovation by an employee or team engaged in work to advance the DHS mission. This work may have resulted in superior performance, significant operational improvements or notable innovation.  ICE was recognized for the following:

• U.S. Secret Service Review Team for participating in a multi-agency task force to enhance comprehensive security at the White House complex.
• Repatriation Technical Working Group for outstanding bilateral cooperation with Mexico in facilitating the repatriation of Mexican nationals.

Secretary’s Exemplary Service Award, which recognizes exemplary service in administrative, technical, clerical and general support positions, to include the following ICE recipients:

• Gloria Verduzco for her willingness and excellence in providing legal support during the surge of unaccompanied minors in the southwest.
• Aisha M. Jones for professionalism, vigilance and exemplary performance.

Secretary’s Valor Award, the highest recognition for extraordinary acts of valor occurring either on or off duty. Recipients demonstrated selfless response by performing courageously in a highly dangerous or life-threatening situation to protect another’s life or to save significant assets or infrastructure from harm. The ICE recipient was:

• Special Agent Jeremiah Gussoni for extraordinary heroism in saving an individual from a burning vehicle.

Secretary’s Award for Volunteer Service, which recognizes significant contributions by DHS employees who serve as volunteers with non-profit or community service programs or activities. The contributions are direct, sustained and have meaningful results for individuals or the larger public good. ICE recipients were:

• Thomas W. Doolittle for providing invaluable and life-affirming hope and help to children suffering from cancer through the Toy Box Foundation.
• William Penaloza for giving selflessly to help improve the lives of veterans as well as other individuals around the world by providing donated wheelchairs, walkers and crutches to nursing homes.

For a list of all awardees, please click here. Photos of this event are available here.