Investigative agencies portrayed as bitter rivals.

"Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic," is an expression heard often in Washington in recent months, usually in reference to plans to reorganize the Department of Homeland Security.

Plans to remove the Federal Emergency Management Agency from DHS have received most of the public's attention, but a more contentious debate over the roles of two agencies, Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is ongoing.

A DHS inspector general report said overlapping responsibilities have created a rivalry between the two agencies, and cooperation and information sharing is lagging. One possible solution is a merger.

The House subcommittee on management, integration, and oversight on homeland security called a hearing to discuss the matter, but right out of the gate, Chairman Mike Rodgers, R-Ala., said he was against the idea. Not surprisingly, Julie Myers, assistant secretary for ICE and Acting CBP Commissioner Deborah Spero also testified that they opposed a merger.

However, officials representing the agencies' employees painted an even bleaker picture than the inspector general.

T.J. Bonner, president of the American Federation of Government Employees' National Border Patrol Council, said, "It should have been clear from the outset that tasking two bureaus to enforce the same laws, with jurisdiction divided along meaningless geographic lines, would lead to massive breakdowns in communication, coordination and cooperation."

Art Gordon, a Transportation Security Administration agent who serves as president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, said a survey of 3,300 ICE officers, showed a disconnect between the agencies that resulted in "dual track investigations and duplication of effort, with little or no coordination."

For example, CBP controls the treasury enforcement communications system, which stores information on ICE investigations. However, CBP does not enter what it is investigating into the database. So the two agencies may be working the same case without each other's knowledge. The two agencies have completely separate chains of command, policies and procedures and management structures.

"It appears CBP is currently attempting to become self-sufficient in the investigative arena, eliminating any need to work with ICE criminal investigators," Gordon said.

Within CBP, Bonner said merging agriculture, immigration and customs inspectors into one job for the "one face at the border" initiative was a mistake. These are each highly specialized fields, and as officers begin to retire, there will be a lack of expertise with those who remain. Furthermore, former Customs managers are running the show, alienating agriculture and immigration officers. He recommended deconstructing the agency and returning agriculture duties back to the Department of Agriculture.

Gordon recommended that task forces be established with members of the two agencies to foster cooperation. "The message from our members is simple and clear. Please fix these problems now," he implored the lawmakers.

For the time being, it seems the deck chairs are staying put. Whether the ship is still sinking is another matter of debate.

Reported by Stew Magnuson