DHS customer experience, CBP cargo systems and USCIS digital ops honored at Service to the Citizen Awards

The Department of Homeland Security was recognized with three honors at the 8th Annual Service to the Citizen Awards, highlighting efforts across the department to modernize services, bolster security and ease the public’s interactions with government.

The DHS Customer Experience Directorate won the award for “Building a Customer-Focused Culture,” cited for embedding customer experience practices across operations and demonstrating that services can be delivered at scale in ways that are efficient, secure, equitable and accessible.

The recognition spotlighted a department-wide push to make customer-first design a core part of national security operations. U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Information Technology, through its Cargo Systems Program Directorate, was honored for innovations in the Automated Commercial Environment, the trade processing platform that underpins U.S.

import and export operations. The award noted the system’s role in supporting economic growth and border security by facilitating seamless trade flows while maintaining cybersecurity compliance. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Digital Operations Modernization Team, led by Michael Catania, was recognized for delivering secure, high-volume immigration services amid record demand.

The effort strengthened system resilience and security while improving the applicant experience, enabling USCIS to meet historic workloads without compromising trust or efficiency. Collectively, the initiatives were credited with reducing millions of hours of administrative burden, generating over $200 million in additional daily revenue, and improving services for millions of Americans.

In addition, CBP Chief Digital Transformation Officer James McCament received the Government Executive of the Year Award. Organizers said the awards underscore the expanding impact of federal digital transformation and customer-centered design on public services, national security and economic performance.

Since its launch, the Service to the Citizen Awards has recognized more than 1,600 government innovators.