This is the first installment in SOSi’s four-part “Connected Enforcement” blog series exploring the challenges and opportunities for modernization across immigration operations.
Immigration enforcement is a complex ecosystem of agencies, processes, and technologies working to manage one of the nation’s most challenging missions. From initial entry to final disposition, individuals move through a continuum involving multiple federal agencies with distinct but interrelated responsibilities. Understanding this continuum — and the opportunities for improvement within it — is critical to developing effective immigration solutions.
Mapping the Immigration Journey
The immigration continuum begins with the individual, regardless of their entry method or status.
“There are several pathways individuals take within the United States immigration system governed by the Immigration and Nationality Act and Title 8. Some are under temporary protected status for example, some have their green cards and are waiting for naturalization. Whether that individual is a migrant crossing the border, or someone applying for their immigration visa through a foreign embassy, they’re part of the same immigration continuum,” SOSi Capture Director Ivan Veskov said.
This continuum spans four major federal entities along with some sub-entities: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), via U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) handle naturalization and asylum applications, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) manage entry and enforcement. The Department of Justice (DOJ), via the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), oversees immigration courts. The Department of State (DOS) focuses on the pre-entry phase (visas) and humanitarian admissions (refugees), with a significant overlap in nationality matters.
For those entering through legal channels, the process begins with application and screening at embassies or ports of entry, followed by document verification and the issuance of appropriate visas. For those apprehended after crossing illegally, the process includes initial detention, screening, and processing before potential referral to immigration courts or removals depending on each individual case.
“The pathway ends at staying on a temporary or longer-term period of time or deportation,” Veskov said. “In an ideal world, every immigration situation or decision would be perfectly justified, granting entry or requiring departure for clear legal reasons. In reality, complexities arise from border security and a high volume of applications, driven by global instability and climate-induced displacements as well as changes in policy. To address this, government agencies, leaders, and industry partners collaborate on solutions, navigating a far more intricate operational landscape.”
The Digital Disconnect
Currently, each individual’s journey across the immigration continuum is tracked through several disparate systems with minimal integration.
“DOJ has its own system. HHS has its own system. DHS has its own system, and so forth,” Veskov said. “Each agency maintains its own database with unique protocols and information requirements, creating both redundancies and gaps in how individuals are tracked through the immigration process.”
This fragmentation creates significant challenges and slows the flow of pertinent data. Agents must manually cross-reference information from multiple databases. Critical patterns that might indicate security concerns or humanitarian issues often go undetected. The entire process becomes slower, less efficient, and more prone to error.
The reality is that a lot of attention focuses on illegal crossings, but as Veskov emphasizes, the people who are crossing illegally represent just one aspect of border security. A significant challenge also exists at legal ports of entry, where agencies must efficiently process legitimate travelers while screening thousands personal belongings, vehicles, and commercial shipments each day — all requiring advanced technological solutions to maintain both security and flow of commerce.
A Vision for Digital Transformation
SOSi is actively collaborating with multiple federal and state agencies to transform the immigration continuum through secure digital infrastructure. Drawing on our experience supporting CBP, ICE, and DOJ operations, we’re helping to implement interconnected solutions across the enforcement ecosystem. Central to our approach is the development of a secure mobile application that would serve as a digital immigration card, following each individual through their entire journey, tailored to serve their circumstance.
“We’re in an age where advanced mobile technology is widespread, accessible, and cheap,” Veskov said. “Most individuals entering the immigration system already have experience with smartphones and would be capable of using a secure application designed to help them navigate the process.”
Through basic interoperability, this application would connect securely with each relevant agency’s systems, creating a single source of truth across the immigration process. When an individual receives their social security card or updates their address, they could verify this information directly through the app in real time. This approach would both empower individuals to act fast on information requests or changes, as well as provide agencies with better visibility.
“With a well-designed, user-centric system, individuals can become active participants in the process,” Veskov said. “This digital engagement encourages compliance while granting agencies enhanced enforcement and compliance throughout the immigration journey.”
Real-World Benefits
The benefits of this approach would be far-reaching:
Enhanced Security: A comprehensive digital infrastructure would provide appropriate visibility throughout the immigration process, helping agencies maintain awareness of status changes and compliance requirements without compromising privacy. As system participants move through the process, agencies would have the information needed to make informed decisions and allocate resources effectively. The application could be built to include sponsor profiles, or family profiles required upon application creation.
“When you start looking at migrant data, there shouldn’t be any walls,” said Ramiro Garza, a SOSi operations manager and former Assistant Chief with the Border Patrol. “I don’t think migrant data should be walled off at all from an enforcement side.”
Improved Humanitarian Protection: Digital tracking could help identify potential trafficking situations.
“Let’s say that child now is given an app and a profile and that child has gone to sponsor A. And now another child comes over and that child also goes to sponsor A… And then another child comes over and they’re going to sponsor A,” Veskov said. “These patterns, currently difficult to detect, would become immediately visible.”
Data Quality Improvement: Centralized digital systems would significantly reduce data entry errors through automated validation and standardization.
“Currently, minor inconsistencies in data entry can create major problems,” Veskov said. “Something as simple as an extra punctuation mark in a name can create duplicate records or prevent systems from finding existing information.”
A unified approach would implement real-time validation rules, consistent formatting standards, and automated cross-referencing to ensure data integrity across all connected systems.
Operational Efficiency: Reduced paperwork and manual processing would allow agents to focus on higher-value activities. SOSi consultant and former Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said younger agents prefer to process migrants using a mobile app.
“Today’s younger agents are digital natives who expect to work with — and thrive with — digital tools,” he said.
SOSi’s Unique Perspective
SOSi brings a comprehensive understanding of the immigration continuum based on direct experience at every stage of the process.
“We work across the entire immigration continuum from the point of entry at the U.S. border, all the way through to court adjudication at the Department of Justice,” Veskov said. “We have visibility of the full immigration continuum.”
This end-to-end perspective allows SOSi to develop solutions that address the complex interplay between agencies while maintaining operational security and improving information sharing.
“We must imagine a better future — with tools and applications that create an enabling and sustainable environment for safe, legal, and efficient immigration process,” Veskov said. “This reduces the strain on government resources and taxpayer funds while achieving results.”
Looking Forward
The technology to transform immigration enforcement through connected operations exists today. The commercial industry has developed sophisticated information-sharing platforms that could be adapted for government use with proper security protocols. The main barriers are not technological, but administrative and cultural.
With proper leadership alignment and a commitment to innovation, agencies can create a more efficient, effective, and humane immigration enforcement system. The first step is understanding the continuum from end-to-end — and recognizing the transformative potential of digital connectivity.
