09 Sep Department of Homeland Security to Develop Searchable Internal Immigration Database
The Homeland Security Department plans to establish a database of immigration data that will identify fraud in applications for benefits, and provide information to intelligence and law enforcement agencies. DHS will create a mirror copy of multiple databases the Citizenship and Immigration Services uses to award federal benefits to immigrants and nonimmigrants and develop a single user interface employees use to access the stored information, according to a notice the department published in theFederal Register on Wednesday. The Citizenship and Immigration Data Repository System of Records, which will include real-time updates and a search engine, will allow officials to vet applications for fraud and national security concerns, detect misuse of immigration information by agency employees for personal gain, and respond to classified requests for information that could assist intelligence and law enforcement investigations. CIDR will sit on the department’s classified network.