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Updated December 7, 2006 Summary Security concerns have figured prominently in the development of and debate on immigration legislation in the 109th Congress. In May 2005, the REAL ID Act […]

April 6, 2006 Summary An estimated 11 million unauthorized aliens reside in the United States, and this population is estimated to increase by 500,000 annually. Each year, approximately 1 million […]

Summary As in the past several years, security concerns are figuring prominently in the development of and debate on immigration legislation in the 109th Congress. In May 2005, the REAL […]

While each of the areas above have presented specific policy issues, there are other issues that transcend subject area and apply to the entirety of border security on the southwest […]

Since 1993, Congress has passed legislation that authorized and appropriated funding to increase border personnel at and along the southwest border. Congress has also passed legislation that was aimed at […]

While the federal inspections process was codified by Congress in the 1700s and 1800s, it was 1924 when Congress recognized the need for enforcement measures to stem illegal entries between […]

Some of the major issues facing ICE stem from the growing number of illegal aliens present in the United States. While the issues discussed below are not specifically unique to […]

The Bureau of Immigration and Custom Enforcement's (ICE) is the investigative arm of DHS. ICE is charged with immigration and customs-related investigations in the interior of the country, which includes […]

In 1789, Congress passed legislation that authorized the collection of duties on imported goods. (20) In a subsequent piece of legislation, Congress established the U.S. Customs Service, which was charged […]

Prior to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), many federal agencies and subagencies were responsible for some aspects of border security. Today, DHS is the primary agency […]

Summary Expedited removal, an immigration enforcement strategy originally conceived to operate at the borders and ports of entry, is being expanded, raising a set of policy, resource, and logistical questions. […]

Importance of Mexico and the Bilateral Relationship Sharing a 2,000-mile common border and extensive interconnections through the Gulf of Mexico, the United States and Mexico are so intricately linked together […]

The U.S. border with Mexico is approximately 2,000 miles long and is comprised of six Mexican and four U.S. states. (2) It features large tracts of desert land where temperatures […]

Border security has emerged as an area of concern for many, particularly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Although recent concerns pertaining to border security may be attributed to […]

Summary Border security has emerged as an area of public concern, particularly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Although recent public concerns pertaining to border security may be attributed […]

Summary The United States Border Patrol (USBP) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is charged with securing our nation's borders between official ports of entry (POE). As the USBP […]

Summary The attacks of September 11, 2001, have increased interest in the authority under statute to detain noncitizens (aliens) in the United States. Under the law there is broad authority […]

Summary Since the events of September 11, 2001, concerns have been raised about the ability of terrorists to enter the United States under the visa waiver program. The visa waiver […]

SUMMARY Top immigration issues before the 107th Congress include the reorganization of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), a part of the Department of Justice (DOJ); admissions policy; and the […]

The article discusses the use of the consular lookout and support system (CLASS) database to check the background of all visa applicants by the U.S. Department of State (DoS) to promote national security and public safety in the country. It highlights the utilization of name-searching algorithms to ensure matches between names of visa applicants and their information in CLASS. It notes that the agency refers to the visa cases reviewed by the intelligence and law enforcement of the country.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the federal government developed a unified regimen to identify and list known or suspected terrorists. The regimen has received repeated congressional attention, and this report briefly discusses for congressional policymakers how the U.S. government fashions and uses the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) to achieve such an end. It also discusses how the federal government engages in two travel-related screening processes-visa screening and air passenger screening. Both processes involve subsets of the Terrorist Screening Database. The Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) The TSDB lies at the heart of federal efforts to identify and share information among U.S. law enforcement about identified people who may pose terrorism-related threats to the United States. It is managed by the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC), a multi-agency organization created by presidential directive in 2003 and administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The TSDB includes biographic identifiers for those known either to have or be suspected of having ties to terrorism. In some instances it also includes biometric information on such people. It stores hundreds of thousands of unique identities. Portions of the TSDB are exported to data systems in federal agencies that perform screening activities such as background checks, reviewing the records of passport and visa applicants, official encounters with travelers at U.S. border crossings, and air passenger screening. Foreign Nationals Traveling to the United States Two broad classes of foreign nationals are issued visas under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA): immigrants and nonimmigrants. Many visitors, however, enter the United States without visas through the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Under the VWP, foreign nationals from 38 countries with agreements with the United States-including most countries in the European Union-do not need visas to enter the United States for short-term business or tourism and are instead vetted using biographic information to authenticate and screen individuals. Screening Aliens Department of State (DOS) consular officers check the background of all visa applicants in "lookout" databases that draw on TSDB information and other counterterrorism information such as the material housed in the National Counterterrorism Center's Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment. DOS specifically uses the Consular Lookout and Support System (CLASS) database, which surpassed 42.5 million records in 2012. Aliens entering through the VWP have been vetted through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which checks them against the TSDB. In addition, before an international flight bound for the United States departs from a foreign airport, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers screen the passenger manifest. CBP inspectors also perform background checks and admissibility reviews at the ports of entry that draw on information from the TSDB. Screening at the Transportation Security Administration The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has initiated a number of risk-based screening initiatives to focus its resources and apply directed measures based on intelligence-driven assessments of security risk. A cornerstone of TSA's risk-based initiatives is the PreCheck program. PreCheck is TSA's latest version of a trusted traveler program that has been modeled after CBP programs. Under the PreCheck regimen, participants are vetted through a background check process (including screening against terrorist watchlist information). At selected airports, they are processed through expedited screening lanes, where they can keep shoes on and keep liquids and laptops inside carry-on bags. All passengers flying to or from U.S. airports are vetted using the TSA's Secure Flight program. Secure Flight involves information from the TSDB housed in the No Fly List, Selectee List, and Expanded Selectee List to vet passenger name records. The No Fly List includes identities of individuals who may present a threat to civil aviation and national security. Listed individuals are not allowed to board a commercial aircraft flying into, out of, over, or within U.S. airspace; this also includes point-to-point international flights operated by U.S. carriers. The Selectee List includes individuals who must undergo additional security screening before being allowed to board a commercial aircraft. The Expanded Selectee List was created as an extra security measure in response to a failed attempt to trigger an explosive by a foreign terrorist onboard a U.S.-bound flight on December 25, 2009. It screens against all TSDB records that include a person's first and last name and date of birth that are not already on the No Fly or Selectee lists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the legislation in the U.S. congress including Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 and Border Jobs for Veterans Act of 2015 and Adoptive Family Relief Act and Northern Border Security Review Act. The acts are passed in relation to border security and asylum and naturalization.

The article discusses issues concerning security risks associated with the visa waiver program (VWP). Topics discussed include a visa to be obtained by nonimmigrants from the U.S. Department of State for business activities in the U.S., interest of the VWP to promote tourism and commerce, and authority given to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to waive nonimmigrant refusal rate requirement.

The article focuses on the federal laws and regulations that addresses the issue of noncitizen eligibility. Topics discussed include an overview of the federal laws and regulations which includes the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), a comparison between PRWORA and Section 214 of the 1980 Housing and Community Development Act, and the legislation proposed by Senator Christopher Bond to address the differences between PRWORA and Section 214.

The article focuses on the issue of noncitizen eligibility as defined in U.S. housing programs which includes Section 214. Topics discussed include the conflicting interpretations between Section 214 and the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act regarding noncitizen eligibility, and the applicability of the homeless assistance programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in providing housing assistance to noncitizens.

The article presents the report "Immigration: Noncitizen Eligibility for Needs-Based Housing Programs" by authors Maggie McCarty and Alison Siskin of the publication "Congressional Research Service". Topics discussed include an overview of the issue of noncitizen eligibility in the United States and an assessment on the overlapping provisions in the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act and Section 214 of the 1980 Housing and Community Development Act.

The article discusses U.S. policy in the visa waiver program (VWP) for temporary foreign visitors to the U.S. Topics include the "B" nonimmigrant visa that could be waived by Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) grounds for inadmissibility and criteria to qualify for the VWP. Also cited are the International Crimimal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Summaries are presented of several bills in the 11th Congress including House Rule (H.R.) 158/Miller or the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act, Senate (S.) 2337/Feinstein or the Visa Waiver Program Security Enhancement Act and H.R. 2116/Plaskett or the Virgin Islands Visa Waiver Program.

The article discusses congressional focus on changes and modifications in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) due to national security concerns after the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, France. Topics include plans to require VWP travelers to have electronic (e)-passports and the Stolen and Lost Travel Document (SLTD) database of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). Also mentioned are the Preventing and Combating Serious Crime (PCSC) Agreements and the overstay rate.

The article discusses the issues that affect the anti-trafficking efforts of the U.S. government. Topics covered include the alleged duplication of efforts and lack of coordination among U.S. government agencies conducting anti-trafficking activities, the implementation of a training program for preventing human trafficking under the Human Trafficking Detection Act of 2015, and the enforcement of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

An appendix is presented showing pending human trafficking bills that have received Congressional action or are of significant Congressional interest as of April 16, 2015.

The article discusses details relating to domestic sex trafficking of children in the U.S. Topics covered include the identified factors that increase the risk of commercial sexual exploitation of children, the aims and goals of the Missing and Exploited Children's (MEC) program, and the implementation of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program. It discusses the efforts in improving the investigation and prosecution of child abuse under the Victims of Child Abuse Act.

The article discusses the efforts of the U.S. government in providing victim assistance to identified victims of human trafficking and in helping the victims recover and reclaim their lives. Topics covered include the adequacy of services for all victims of human trafficking in the U.S., the certification of human trafficking victims according to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), and the benefits of implementing the Job Corps employment and job training program.