Veteran ERO deportation officer brings professionalism to work every day

In the animated environment of her office, Ling P. Moser interacts with each person in a calm and respectful manner.

Moser is a deportation officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in San Francisco, California.

She is a 20-year veteran of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service and ICE.

Her long career was recognized by her supervisor, Assistant Field Office Director Jason McClay, who said: “Deportation Officer Moser is a committed and dedicated officer who is well respected by her peers and supervisors. She can always be counted upon to assist other officers or units that need additional help.”

Moser appreciates the support of her co-workers throughout her career: “I work with wonderful colleagues and have always been treated equally by them. Being in law enforcement and a female, I was never given a break or treated differently based on my gender. I was expected to do my job without any special treatment.”

During her career, Moser found great satisfaction in many positions she held, especially as a victim witness coordinator. She said: “It is very rewarding to be able to call a victim and let him or her know the criminal in the case has been removed from the United States. To hear the victim’s sound of relief is beyond gratifying.”

Moser currently works in the ERO Alternatives to Detention program. The program is a flight-mitigation tool that uses technology and case management to increase compliance with release conditions. To be eligible for the program, participants must be adults 18 years of age or older, be removable and be at some stage of immigration proceedings. Participants on electronic monitoring have various levels of reporting requirements such as in-person check-ins and home visits depending on individual case circumstances.

ICE monitors both family units and individual cases in the program.

While working with families and individuals in transitory circumstances is challenging, Moser has found the key to success. She said: “When I deal with individuals, I am always upfront and provide the facts only; I never promise anything and only provide the information of which I am sure. People respond well to this approach and have told me they appreciate my professionalism and straight-forward manner.”

Working at ICE presents many opportunities for employees to grow and make a positive difference to the agency and the communities in which they live. Moser said: “The agency has provided me the knowledge, training, financial security and opportunities to prosper. Being able to enforce immigration laws, ensuring all subjects are given their due immigration process, obtaining travel documents, removing criminal subjects, removing individuals who have abused the immigration system and notifying victims has attributed to making a positive difference in my community.”

Moser immigrated to the United States in 1973 from Hong Kong. Her aunt was already a naturalized United States citizen and sponsored her parents and siblings when she was 3 years old. Her family lived in El Paso, Texas for two years before moving to San Francisco. She has lived in the Bay Area ever since. She was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1995.

Moser began her career with INS as a detention enforcement officer in December 1997. Since then, she has worked as a field office juvenile coordinator, victim witness coordinator, fugitive operations officer and with the Alternatives to Detention program, all in the San Francisco Field Office.

“At no time, would any officer be left behind on her own.”