The fragmented, ineffective set of information technology (IT) systems stifles efforts by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to track visa overstays, according to a recent report published by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
OIG’s findings concluded that ICE’s reliance on IT systems that lack integration and information sharing capabilities ultimately forced agency personnel to connect vital information from up to 27 different DHS information systems and databases to determine an individual’s visa status. As a result, it cost the agency months of time to determine a potential threat and the backlog of potential overstay cases has grown to approximately 1.2 million.
The report also found that the lack of a comprehensive biometric exit system at U.S. ports of departure for non-immigrant visitors further hindered the agency’s efforts in tracking overstays. With no such system, the report said, ICE personnel are forced to rely on third party departure data, like commercial carrier manifests, to track individuals. Manifests, however, do not include biometric land departure information for individuals who cross borders on foot or in their own vehicles.
“ICE must equip its personnel with the tools and training they require for the vital work of tracking visitors who overstay their visas,” Inspector General John Roth said. “Timely identification, tracking, and adjudication of potential visa overstays is critical to ICE’s public safety and national security mission.”