New Partnership for Public Service survey data points to profound loss of confidence among CBP, ICE employees in agency leadership 

January 29, 2026

On the heels of multiple violent incidents in Minnesota in recent weeks, new survey findings released today by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service show that only 21% of survey respondents from Customs and Border Protection, and 9% of respondents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, believe their agency’s political leaders maintain high standards of integrity. Similarly, 20% of CBP respondents and 12% of ICE respondents reported having trust in their organization’s political leaders. 

Just 23% of CBP respondents and 18% of ICE respondents expressed confidence they could report illegal acts within their agency without retribution, and 18% of CBP respondents and 15% of ICE respondents said their agency does not tolerate arbitrary action, favoritism or political coercion against employees. 

These and other findings are included in a brief memo published by the Partnership today. 

“This data reveals a five-alarm fire inside CBP and ICE,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. “Untrustworthy leaders foster a culture of fear and create widespread dysfunction, and that’s what we’re seeing here.” 

These troubling findings come from the Partnership’s proprietary Public Service Viewpoint Survey, which was made available to all federal employees between Nov. 10 and Dec. 19, 2025. The survey aims to understand the current state of the federal employee experience, building on the Partnership’s more than 20 years of producing the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® rankings. 

The Partnership conducted its own survey after the Trump administration’s decision to cancel the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), which has consistently been administered across administrations for over two decades. The administration’s decision eliminated a critical management tool that agency leaders have relied on for decades to understand workforce perspectives, identify opportunities for improvement, and make evidence-based decisions about workplace policies. 

Because this survey was conducted independently, it does not have as large of a sample of respondents as the Office of Personnel Management-administered FEVS. As such, the findings in this survey are not directly comparable to past FEVS results. However, they point to lower levels of trust in leadership within CBP and ICE. 

“Our country needs a government that is capable and accountable, and it’s abundantly clear in the wake of the tragedies in Minnesota and the poor leadership response that we lack that,” added Stier. “By repeatedly neglecting to exercise their oversight powers over the past year, Congress is also culpable. The American people deserve far better, and it’s long past time for our lawmakers to conduct oversight and demand reforms.” 

The full results of the Public Service Viewpoint Survey, including a government-wide employee engagement score, will be released in mid-March. The findings released today are based on the responses of 395 employees of Customs and Border Protection and 56 employees of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. More than 1,100 Department of Homeland Security employees responded to the survey. The findings here are representative only of the survey respondents.