**Immigration and Customs Enforcement**

**Questions and Answers for Emergency and Special Evacuation
Allowances**

**[(Updated September 1, 2008)]{.underline}**

**[Background]{.underline}**

In the event of an emergency, including dangerous weather, ICE may
implement its procedures for emergency and special evacuation
allowances. To ensure that impacted ICE employees understand the
agency's policy for special evacuation and emergency allowances, ICE
management provides some typical questions and answers for affected
employees and their dependents. The primary points-of-contact for travel
related questions are:

1.  HQ Office of Financial Management, dedicated temporary emergency
    phone line of 802-288-7793 or the general emergency phone number for
    OCFO/OFM matters of 802-288-7796.

2.  OFM website at <http://ofm.ice.dhs.gov/exec/index.asp>

3.  Customer service line at the Dallas Finance Center at 214-915-6277

**Q1. What is an Evacuation Order and what does it do?**

A1. An Evacuation Order is a document issued by the Assistant Secretary
of ICE. This order authorizes employees and dependents certain
transportation expenses and per diem while in transit to a safe haven
location and a subsistence allowance including: lodging, per diem and
certain miscellaneous expenses while at the safe haven location. The
Evacuation Order also allows for advance payments or evacuation
payments, as appropriate and necessary, for affected employees. These
benefits cannot be authorized without a formal, written Evacuation
Order.

**Q2. What is the effective period of the Evacuation Order for areas
impacted by Hurricane Gustav?**

A2. The evacuation order for Hurricane Gustav is effective Sunday,
August 31, 2008, for a period not to exceed 180 days. The specific
termination date for the employees, which may occur in less than 180
days, will be determined by ICE management on a location by location
basis.

**Q3. What if I incurred allowable expenses prior to the official
Evacuation Order? How do I get reimbursed?**

A3. Valid, allowable expenses incurred prior to the effective date of
the Evacuation Order may be approved retroactively by the respective ICE
program director, or his/her designee.

**Q4. My dependents are covered as well as me for reimbursement of cost
for transit to a safe haven and the substance allowances while at the
safe haven. Who is considered a dependent?**

A4. The official definition of a dependent is a relative of an employee
who resides with the employee and is dependent upon the employee for
support.

**Q5. What costs are covered by the evacuation special allowances?**

A5. Evacuation special allowances are available to employees and their
dependent family members, if any, who are evacuated from their
residences. Employees and their dependents are authorized round-trip
transportation expenses to a safe haven location and per diem while in
transit. Once at the safe haven location and for the first 30 days,
employees and their dependents are authorized a subsistence allowance to
include lodging and per diem at rates established by the Federal Travel
Regulations (FTR) for that location. The per diem rate for dependents
under the age of 12 will be one-half the rate payable to the employee.
Beginning with day 31, the per diem rate is reduced to 60 percent of the
per diem rate with dependents under the age of 12 at one-half the rate
payable to the employee. Miscellaneous expenses are limited to those
expenses allowable under normal travel situations (e.g., hotel taxes and
fees, atm fees, actual phone call expenses (not to exceed \$5 per day),
and laundry/dry cleaning expenses when away from the residence for more
than 4 days, etc. For questions on allowable reimbursable expenses, you
may contact the OFM points of contract listed at the beginning of this
document.

**Q6. How can I pay for the costs I incur to get to the safe haven
location and while I am at the safe haven location?**

A6. Use your government issued travel card to pay for the costs incurred
by you and your dependent family members for travel and authorized
expenses. All travel cards for employees in the affected area have
credit limits, which can be increased or decreased as needed, as can the
weekly ATM withdrawal limit. Please contact your ICE program POC for
assistance or the OFM points of contacts listed at the beginning of this
document.

**Q7. I accepted a permanent change of station assignment, and I am
enroute to my new duty station that is located in an area being
evacuated. What do I do?**

A7. Do not continue on to the affected duty station. Remain at a safe
location and contact your management from the safe location to get
further instructions.

**Q8. How will the authorization be created for me and my family?**

A8. The ICE program office for the affected employee(s) will generate a
travel authorization for displaced employees and their families. The
initial authorization will cover the period August 31, 2008, through
September 30, 2008, and will be extended or reduced based on when the
employee and dependents can return to their residence.

**Q9. I evacuated my residence. How do I get the evacuation special
allowance reimbursement?**

A9. If you have access to Travel Manager, create a voucher and transmit
it. If Travel Manager is unavailable, a manual voucher is required.
Provide the voucher to your designated approving official or as
instructed by ICE program office. Contact the ICE Office of Financial
Management for questions and assistance at the numbers provided at the
beginning of this document. You should prepare a voucher as often as
every two weeks, but no later than every 30 days. The voucher should
include transportation and per diem costs incurred while enroute to the
safe haven. It should also contain lodging, subsistence, and
miscellaneous costs incurred while at the safe haven. Miscellaneous
expenses are limited to allowance expenses, such as hotel taxes and
fees, atm fees, actual phone calls (not to exceed \$5 per day), and
laundry/dry cleaning if away from your residence for more than 4 days.
Do NOT submit requests for reimbursement unless you or your dependent
actually incurs the costs.

**Q10. How can I change my EFT information for my travel
reimbursement?**

A10. Request the change through the form available on the OFM website
<http://ofm.ice.dhs.gov/exec/form_vm_employee.asp> (which includes
instructions) or by contacting the emergency OFM Travel POC at
802-288-7793 or the Dallas Finance Center customer service line at
214-915-6277. Identify the change is related to the evacuation.

**Q11. I used to have my travel reimbursement mailed to my house. Who do
I contact to change the address where the checks should be mailed?**

A11. See the answer for Q10. Identify the changes related to the
evacuation.

**Q12. How can I obtain a Government Travel Card (GTC) or a new PIN
number for my existing GTC?**

A12. For a new card, contact your Program point-of-contact who will work
with the ICE Office of Finance to expedite the issuance of a new
government travel card. Otherwise, complete the GTC application form at
<http://www.citigroup.com/transactionservices/homepage/cash/cc/gov/reference/files/apdxb_forms/travelcard.pdf>.
Afterwards, submit the completed and signed GTC application form to your
Program POC or Travel Card Program Manager via fax at (214)915-6292 or
scan/email to <Martha.Wright@dhs.gov>. Also, please contact the
emergency OFM Travel POC at 802-288-7793 or the Dallas Finance Center
customer service line at 214-915-6277 for additional questions or
assistance.

> For a new Travel Card PIN number, contact Citibank directly at its
> customer service number (1-800-790-7206) and request expedited
> action/delivery and identify an alternative mailing address as
> required. Assistance is also available from ICE OFM at the above
> numbers.

**Q13. My family and I arrived at a safe haven location but now I'm
going TDY. Do the evacuation special allowances change?**

A13. A travel authorization for your TDY will be created through your
ICE program office, and you will no longer be eligible for evacuation
special allowances until your TDY ends. The same 180 day or less limit
to evacuation applies. Your family will continue to be eligible for
evacuation special allowances while at the safe haven location.

**Q14. I had to evacuate my residence but I am still reporting to my
permanent duty station for work. Am I eligible for reimbursement of any
commuting expenses?**

A14. Routine commuting expense may not be reimbursed. However, emergency
subsistence allowances may be granted to employees who have been ordered
to remain in the evacuation zone for official duties, on a case-by-case
basis. This authority rests with the ICE Program director or his/her
designee.

**Q15. I evacuated my residence but when I returned there is no
electricity or water. Am I eligible for any evacuation special
allowances?**

A15. Yes. If your residence is not habitable, meaning there is no
running water, electricity or other utility service, you are eligible
for subsistence allowances.

**Q16. I rented an apartment at the safe haven and the period of the
lease extends beyond the period of the Evacuation Order. How do I get
reimbursed?**

A16. As stated in the Evacuation Order, which will be posted on the ICE
Website at <http://ofm.ice.dhs.gov/exec/>, evacuees should not sign
long-term leases as lodging reimbursement will be limited to the
evacuation period only. Reimbursement will be limited to the period of
the Evacuation Order and the costs for the apartment will only be
covered for that period up to the amount allowable for lodging per day.

**Q17. I stayed with relatives who took care of my family and me during
the period while the evacuation order was in effect. How can I get
reimbursed for the costs I help defray for them housing us?**

A17. You cannot be reimbursed lodging expenses while staying with
friends or relatives instead of a commercial lodging establishment
regardless of whether any lodging payment is made to the friend or
relative. However, you are authorized the Meals & Incidental Expenses
(M&IE) portion of the per diem allowance.

**Q18. I could not find a hotel or lodging at the safe haven site at the
allowable rate for reimbursement by the government. How can I get
authorized for actual expenses? Also, I need more than one room for my
family. How do I get authorization for more than one room?**

A18. You should contact your ICE program POC, who issued the travel
authorization, and request actual expenses for lodging. Payments for
actual expenses, however, are not automatically approved and will be
approved on a case-by-case basis. The same is true for reimbursement for
more than one room per family. Typical circumstances would only allow
for authorization for one room.

**Q19. My regular pay was not deposited to my bank account. Who do I
contact to get fixed? And can I use my Travel Card for clothes and other
non-allowable expenses?**

A19. If you did not get paid, you should contact your ICE program POC
who will work with the ICE Office of Finance to resolve the matter, and
get a manual payment issued through National Finance Center or other
means as soon as possible. However, you cannot use your Travel Card for
non-allowable expenses although you can request an advance payment (as
discussed below at question Q20).

**Q20. I need immediate financial assistance to cover expenses related
to Hurricane Gustav and cannot wait for my next pay check. Is there any
assistance available?**

A20. You may request an Advance Payment of your future salary. Each ICE
program director or his/her designee is authorized to approve advance
payments when such payment is required to help the employee defray
immediate expenses incidental to the evacuation. Contact your Program
point-of-contact but be reminded that these funds must be repaid to the
government and the amount that is issued with be less 30% to cover
required legal deductions (e.g., Social Security, etc.).