Homeland Security

White House Reports on Visa, Immigration Policies and Security

(New procedures outlined to enhance security, prevent terrorist entry)
(810)
The White House sent a report to the U.S. Congress March 25 outlining
new procedures being undertaken to better screen visa applicants and
potential immigrants to the United States.
The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act passed by
Congress in 2002 required the administration to prepare the report.
The law was passed in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist
attacks, and called for a broad range of policy and procedural changes
in various areas of government to prevent such attacks in the future.
In a letter accompanying the report, Bush tells Congress that
government agencies are improving their capabilities to share
information used in the evaluation of individuals applying for visas
and entry into the United States. The Department of State's Consular
Lookout and Support System (CLASS) is now able to access these
improved information banks to more fully scrutinize the eligibility of
a visa applicant.
"Since September 22 more than 7 million names of persons with Federal
Bureau of Investigation records were added to CLASS so that now it
contains approximately 13 million name records," the president's
letter said.
The report also describes to Congress a newly established Terrorist
Threat Integration Center created to analyze information collected
from a variety of sources to create a comprehensive picture of the
terrorist threat.
Following is the text of the president's letter:
(begin text)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
March 26, 2003
TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE CHAIRMEN OF THE HOUSE AND
SENATE COMMITTEES ON THE JUDICIARY, THE HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT
COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS, THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, AND THE SENATE
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
March 25, 2003
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Enclosed is the report to the Congress, prepared by my Administration,
identifying Federal law enforcement and intelligence community
information identified as necessary by the Department of State (DOS)
to screen visa applicants and the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) to screen applicants for admission to the United States, and to
identify those aliens inadmissible or deportable under the Immigration
and Nationality Act. I am forwarding this report to fulfill the
requirement under section 201(b) of the Enhanced Border Security and
Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-173).
The Federal Government is working to improve data-sharing capabilities
between agencies. To support this effort, the Department of Homeland
Security will create an inventory of essential information needed to
secure our Nation; determine horizontal and vertical integration
requirements; define target architecture for information integration;
and, determine the resources necessary to integrate information. In
the short term, DHS will work to virtually consolidate or link watch
lists from multiple agencies and create a homeland security portal for
users at all levels of government. Additionally, consular officers and
immigration inspectors have access to more complete intelligence and
criminal history information through the Interagency Border Inspection
System (IBIS) and the Consular Lookout and Support System (CLASS).
Since September 11, more than seven million names of persons with
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records were added to CLASS so
that now it contains approximately 13 million name records from DOS,
DHS, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and intelligence resources.
The U.S. Customs Service has also provided 20,000 name records of
serious violators to CLASS. The CLASS now has over 78,000 records of
suspected terrorists, up 40 percent in the past year. Since September
11, 2001, approximately 20,000 new terrorist lookouts have been
entered into the DOS's TIPOFF system.
Furthermore, an Entry-Exit System (EES) project team is building an
integrated, automated information EES to enable existing/ emerging
entry exit processes. This core EES will integrate electronic arrival
and departure manifests, electronic visa data, Federal agency
lookouts, traveler information, Student and Exchange Visitor
Information System (SEVIS) data, Immigration Benefit information,
overstay information as well as perform risk assessment analysis and
lookout queries, and incorporate biometric technology.
Additionally, the newly established Terrorist Threat Integration
Center (TTIC) will analyze terrorist-related information collected
domestically and abroad in order to form the most comprehensive
picture of the terrorist threats we face. The TTIC will also play a
lead role in overseeing a national counter-terrorism tasking and
requirements system and in maintaining an up-to-date database of known
and suspected terrorists that will be accessible to appropriate
officials at all levels of government. The TTIC represents an
important milestone in our effort to improve collaboration between and
among the intelligence and law enforcement communities.
These efforts and others are improving available information and
systems while planning for the development of compatible information
systems. This will allow Federal, State, and local entities to share
information nationwide that will ultimately contribute to securing our
borders and protecting our Nation.
Sincerely,
GEORGE W. BUSH
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)