DHS launches ICEPIC program to identify "non-obvious" relationships
New analytic tool for immigration enforcement and counter-terrorism
The department’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unit already searches for relationships between individuals in its many databases, but most of these investigatory activities are done on a manual basis and they are often stymied when the source data is dissimilar or of poor quality.
With the creation of the ICE Pattern Analysis and Information Collection system, nicknamed ICEPIC, DHS expects to be able to dig deeper into mountains of data and identify relationships between suspicious individuals that might otherwise not be noticeable.
"ICEPIC allows ICE law enforcement agents and analysts to look for non-obvious relationship patterns among individuals and organizations that are indicative of violations of the customs and immigration laws that are enforced by DHS agencies, as well as possible terrorist threats and plots," explained a Federal Register notice the department released today.
ICEPIC will build upon earlier DHS efforts to employ its various databases, including the National Security Entry Exit Registration System (NSEERS), which keeps track of more than 500,000 "special interest aliens," the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and the mammoth United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program which gathers facial photos and fingerprints from millions of foreign travelers who enter or exit the United States.
ICEPIC will comb through a variety of databases looking for personal data, which might include names, aliases, dates of birth, phone numbers, addresses, nationality, driver’s license numbers, social security numbers, physical characteristics, biometric identifiers, immigration history, immigration benefits applications, and more.
The goal of the program is to identify relationships that can help ICE "develop timely, actionable leads" which can be used in its law enforcement and counter-terrorism efforts.
"Current manual and automated processes for research, collation, organization, validation, and analysis of the information in numerous DHS alien registration, entry, intelligence, lookout, and enforcement systems can accomplish similar objectives, but are cumbersome, time-consuming, and error-prone," said the Federal Register notice.
The personal information will be housed in data facilities located in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC, and at remote locations across the country.
ICEPIC will sort through data pertaining to a wide range of people, including anyone involved in an immigration-related investigation, apprehension, detention or legal proceeding; respondents or witnesses involved in extradition proceedings; immigrants or non-immigrants who apply for immigration benefits; non-U.S. citizens who enter or exit the United States; and "individuals required to register as agents of foreign governments in the United States," said the notice.
The data will come from various U.S. Government departments and agencies as well as "commercial data providers," the notice continued.
The new ICEPIC system of records will become effective on February 29, 2008. DHS envisions granting a series of "exemptions" that would enable the ICEPIC program to withhold certain personal data, even when requested under the Privacy Act.
Comments to the proposed exemptions are invited from the public by March 10 and DHS plans to publish a revised notice, incorporating some of those comments, not later than August 27.
Anyone interested in commenting can visit http://www.regulations.gov and cite Docket No. DHS-2007-0020.
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