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7 April 2007
[Federal Register: April 6, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 66)]
[Notices]
[Page 17172-17176]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06ap07-70]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Office of the Secretary
[Docket Number DHS 2006-0082]
Privacy Act; Biometric Storage System of Records
AGENCY: Privacy Office, Department of Homeland Security.
ACTION: Notice of Privacy Act system of records.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of
Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, proposes
to add a new system of records to the Department's inventory, entitled
Biometric Storage System. This new system will replace the following
existing legacy systems, the Image Storage and Retrieval System (ISRS),
64 FR 18052, and portions of the Biometric Benefit Support System
(BBSS).
DATES: The established system of records will be effective May 7, 2007
unless comments are received that result in a contrary determination.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket Number DHS
2006-0082 by one of the following methods:
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: 1-866-466-5370.
Mail: Hugo Teufel III, Chief Privacy Officer, Department
of Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For system related questions please
contact: Phyllis Howard, Branch Chief of Application Support for Office
of Field Operations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,
Department of Homeland Security, 20 Massachusetts Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20529. For privacy issues please contact: Hugo Teufel
III, Chief Privacy Officer, Privacy Office, U.S. Department of Homeland
Security, Washington, DC 20528.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been tasked by
Congress with processing all immigration benefit applications and
petitions. Many applications, petitions, and other benefits
(hereinafter referred to as ``applications'') require that fingerprints
and other biometrics be captured in order to conduct background checks,
to verify the applicant's, petitioner's, or beneficiary's (hereinafter
referred to as ``applicants'') identity, and to produce benefit cards
with biometrics and documents. In order to fulfill its statutory
mandate, USCIS is establishing a new system of records that will
consolidate all biometrics collected by USCIS into one centralized
system. This new system of
[[Page 17173]]
records is called the Biometric Storage System (BSS).
I. USCIS Biometric Storage
Implemented as a part of a USCIS enterprise-wide ``Transformation
Program,'' BSS will help transition the agency's data management
practices to a paperless, more centralized, and unique identity driven
methodology. BSS will become the centralized repository for all
biometric data captured by USCIS from applicants filing immigration
applications. This new system will eventually replace existing legacy
systems, including the Image Storage and Retrieval System (ISRS), 64 FR
18052, and portions of the Biometric Benefit Support System (BBSS).
USCIS captures biometric data from applicants to facilitate three
key operational functions: (1) Conducting fingerprint-based background
checks; (2) verifying an applicant's identity; and (3) producing
benefit cards/documents. Currently, USCIS does not have a centralized,
long-term storage program for fingerprint biometrics. Accordingly,
applicants are sometimes required to return to an USCIS Application
Support Center (ASC) to provide fingerprints again during the case
adjudication process. BSS will store the biometric information, thereby
decreasing the burden on applicants by negating the need to provide
multiple sets of biometric data.
Further, BSS will consolidate storage of information from multiple,
separate systems into a centralized database, allowing for greater
control, security, and management of the data. BSS also will provide
increased functionality over current systems, and improved
communication between government databases and personnel, facilitating
more efficient processing of applications. This furthers USCIS's goals
of reducing immigration benefit and petition case backlog, and
improving the process for vetting and resolving applications for
immigration benefits.
a. Fingerprint-Based Background Checks
Under BSS, biometric and associated biographic information will be
collected from the applicant in order to conduct fingerprint-based
background checks through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and
United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-
VISIT).
Fingerprints will be taken electronically at an USCIS ASC or from
hard copy fingerprint cards (FD-258) that are submitted for those
applicants who are unable to go to an ASC. These fingerprints, along
with other biometric and limited biographical data collected from the
applicant, will be assembled into a National Institute of Standard and
Technology (NIST) approved Electronic Fingerprint Transmission
Specification (EFTS) file and transferred to BSS from the ASCs. BSS
will then submit the 10-print fingerprints and limited biographic
information to, and receive results from, the FBI's Integrated
Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). The FBI
fingerprint check is a search of the FBI's Criminal Master File, which
will identify applicants and petitioners who have arrest records. The
fingerprint check responses received from the FBI are interpreted as
``classifiable'' or ``unclassifiable,'' and that classification is
stored in BSS. A classifiable fingerprint set denotes that the FBI was
able to utilize the fingerprints in the course of their matching
processes. An unclassifiable fingerprint set denotes that the FBI was
unable to utilize the fingerprints in the course of their matching
processes. If applicable, the FBI Identification Record, which details
an applicant's criminal history, will be transmitted by BSS to USCIS's
Background Check Service (BCS), 71 FR 70414, for storage and not
retained in BSS.
BSS will also submit the 10-print fingerprints, photograph, and
limited biographic information to, and receive results from, US-VISIT/
IDENT 71 FR 42651. The US-VISIT/IDENT fingerprint check is a search of
US-VISIT's entire fingerprint database, which will identify applicants
and petitioners who have entered or exited the country previously, as
well as those for whom wants and warrants may be outstanding, or who
otherwise may be the subjects of ongoing law enforcement or
investigative activity. This information, referred to as the US-VISIT/
IDENT information file, will be transmitted by BSS to USCIS's BCS for
storage and not retained in BSS. The US-VISIT/IDENT check will also
return a unique enumerator for any currently enrolled 10-print
fingerprints. The unique enumerator is based on and assigned to an
applicant's unique fingerprint biometric signature. If US-VISIT/IDENT
does not find a match, the system will enroll the 10-print
fingerprints, generate a unique enumerator, and return that number to
BSS.
The results of these fingerprint checks will be used to make
eligibility determinations, which will result in the approval or denial
of a benefit. If fraudulent or criminal activity is detected as a
result of the fingerprint check, information may be referred to
appropriate law enforcement agencies including Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), FBI, or other
federal, state, local, tribal, foreign, or international law
enforcement agencies.
b. Card Production Information in BSS
USCIS issues cards to individuals who have been granted immigration
benefits such as Permanent Resident Cards and Border Crossing Cards.
BSS will store information regarding benefit card and document
production, including but not limited to photographs, signatures,
press-prints (one fingerprint image, typically the index finger), and
card production status.
BSS also will interface with the National Card Production System II
/ Integrated Card Production System (NPS II/ICPS) and the Computer-
Linked Application Information System 3 (CLAIMS 3) 62 FR 64132 system
of records. Specifically, BSS and NPS II/ICPS will share data linked
with benefit cards and documents, including but not limited to: Card
serial number; receipt number; production site; production date; class
of admission; type of benefit card or document; and expiration date.
BSS and CLAIMS 3 will share data related to benefit case adjudication,
including the case status and card production status.
c. Collection and Use of Information in BSS
The data collected in BSS during the background check process
provides USCIS with information about an applicant or petitioner that
may have national security or public safety implications, or which may
contain indicia of fraud. Collection and use of this information will
enable DHS to take action to prevent potentially undesirable and often
dangerous people from staying in this country, thereby supporting two
primary missions of DHS: (1) Preventing terrorist attacks within the
United States and reducing America's vulnerability to terrorism; and
(2) facilitating the adjudication of lawful benefit applications.
All information to be stored in BSS is currently collected as part
of the established USCIS application/petition process. The requested
data is required to verify the applicant's identity and eligibility for
the benefit being sought. ICE, CBP, and the Department of State (DoS)
also will have read-only access to the BSS through a web-based user
interface. This interface will allow the stated users to access and
view biometric and limited biographic
[[Page 17174]]
information for identity verification purposes.
Consistent with DHS's information sharing mission, information
collected and stored in the BSS may be provided by USCIS to appropriate
federal, state, local, tribal or foreign governmental agencies or
multi-lateral government organizations where DHS determines that
sharing the information will assist in the enforcement of civil or
criminal laws.
As mentioned previously, US-VISIT/IDENT will also receive a copy of
the applicant's 10-print fingerprints, photograph, and limited
biographic information. The information stored in US-VISIT/IDENT,
including information received from BSS, may be shared with other DHS
components, as well as appropriate Federal, state, local, tribal,
foreign, or international government agencies. This sharing will only
take place after DHS determines that the receiving component or agency
has a need to know the information to carry out national security, law
enforcement, immigration, intelligence, or other functions consistent
with the routine uses set forth in this system of records notice and
the US-VISIT/IDENT system of records notice (71 FR 42651).
II. The Privacy Act
The Privacy Act embodies fair information principles in a statutory
framework governing the means by which the United Stated Government
collects, maintains, uses and disseminates personally identifiable
information. The Privacy Act applies to information that is maintained
in a ``system of records.'' A ``system of records'' is a group of any
records under the control of an agency from which information is
retrieved by the name of an individual or by some identifying number,
symbol, or other particular assigned to an individual.
The Privacy Act requires each agency to publish in the Federal
Register a description denoting the type and character of each system
of records that the agency maintains, and the routine uses that are
contained in each system to make agency recordkeeping practices
transparent, to notify individuals reading the uses to which personally
identifiable information is put, and to assist the individual to more
easily find such files within the agency.
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(r), a report on this system has
been sent to Congress and to the Office of Management and Budget.
DHS/USCIS-2006-0082
System name:
DHS/USCIS--003 Biometric Storage System (BSS)
Security Classification:
Sensitive; Unclassified.
System location:
The primary BSS system is located at a Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) approved data center in the Washington, DC, metropolitan
area. Backups are maintained offsite. BSS will be accessible worldwide
from all USCIS field offices, service centers, and application support
centers in the DHS Network.
Categories of individuals covered by the system:
All individuals who are applying for benefits and/or who are
petitioning on behalf of individuals applying or petitioning for
benefits pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act. 8 U.S.C. 1101
et seq.
Categories of records in the system:
BSS maintains three general categories of records: (a) Applicant
and Petitioner Biometric information; (b) Applicant and Petitioner
Biographic Identification information; and (c) Card Production
information.
A. Applicant and Petitioner Biometric information contains data
necessary to perform a fingerprint-based background check through the
FBI and US-VISIT/IDENT fingerprint check services, as well as data for
verifying an applicant's identity and card production. This data may
include: 10-print fingerprint images; photographs; signatures;
transaction control numbers associated with FBI fingerprint checks;
receipt numbers; date/time of submission; physical description of
subject; and a reason for the submission of the application (i.e., a
USCIS Form Code). This category also covers the applicants' US-VISIT/
IDENT assigned enumerator. The unique enumerator is based on and
assigned to an applicant's unique fingerprint biometric signature. If
US-VISIT/IDENT does not find a match, the system will enroll the 10-
print fingerprints, generate a unique enumerator, and return it to BSS.
Lastly, this category covers logs associated with the requests of
background checks, which may include requesting location and requesting
person.
B. Applicant and Petitioner Biographic Identification information
includes basic biographic information associated with each applicant or
petitioner, including but not limited to: Name; date of birth; country
of birth; address; employment status; aliases; application type;
height; weight; eye color; gender; hair color; and race. The applicant
and petitioner information also includes uniquely identifiable numbers,
including but not limited to: Alien Registration Number; Z-number;
Receipt Number; Social Security Number; and Armed Forces Identification
Number. This information would be obtained from multiple sources,
including from the applicant at the time the fingerprints are taken, as
well as from the applicant's preexisting case file.
C. Card Production information encompasses data received from and
sent to NPS II/ICPS and CLAIMS 3. This data may include identifying
transactional information (i.e., transaction control number),
biographical information used for card production, card production
status, benefit card/document type, and class of admission.
Authority for maintenance of the system:
8 U.S.C. 1103 et seq.
Purpose(s):
BSS is a single centralized system that stores all biometric and
associated biographic data that USCIS collects. Biometric data and
associated biographic data are used by USCIS to conduct background
checks, facilitate card production, and accurately identify applicants.
Currently, no system exists that centrally manages all of this data.
BSS will replace the following existing legacy systems, the Image
Storage and Retrieval System, 64 FR 180526, and portions of the
Biometric Benefit Support System (BBSS). BBSS is a legacy system that
transfers biometric data from USCIS to the FBI to conduct fingerprint-
based background checks. BBSS does not store the 10-print fingerprint
images. ISRS is a legacy system that stores a limited amount of
information related to an applicant's 10-print fingerprint images and
card production information. BSS also will add new functionality so the
collection of biometric data for USCIS applications may become
centrally managed.
US-VISIT/IDENT will also receive a copy of the applicant's 10-print
fingerprints, photograph, and limited biographic information.
Consistent with DHS's information sharing mission, information stored
in US-VISIT/IDENT, including information received from BSS, may be
shared with other DHS components, as well as appropriate Federal,
state, local, tribal, foreign, or international government agencies.
This sharing will only take place after DHS determines that the
receiving
[[Page 17175]]
component or agency has a need to know the information to carry out
national security, law enforcement, immigration, intelligence, or other
functions consistent with the routine uses set forth in this system of
records notice.
Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories
of users and the purposes of such uses:
In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C.
552a(b) of the Privacy Act, all or a portion of the records or
information contained in this system may be disclosed outside DHS as a
routine use pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as follows:
A. To the United States Department of Justice (including United
States Attorney offices) or other federal agency conducting litigation
or in proceedings before any court, adjudicative or administrative
body, or to the court or administrative body, when it is necessary to
the litigation and one of the following is a party to the litigation or
has an interest in such litigation: (1) DHS; (2) any employee of DHS in
his or her official capacity; (3) any employee of DHS in his or her
individual capacity where DOJ or DHS has agreed to represent said
employee; or (4) the United States or any agency thereof;
B. To an agency, organization, or individual for the purpose of
performing audit or oversight operations as authorized by law, but only
such information as is necessary and relevant to such audit or
oversight function.
C. To the Department of State in the processing of petitions or
applications for benefits under the Immigration and Nationality Act,
and all other immigration and nationality laws including treaties and
reciprocal agreements;
D. To the National Archives and Records Administration or other
Federal government agencies pursuant to records management inspections
being conducted under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.
E. To contractors, grantees, experts, consultants, and others
performing or working on a contract, service, grant, cooperative
agreement, or other assignment for the Federal Government, when
necessary to accomplish a DHS mission function related to this system
of records, in compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended.
F. To appropriate federal, state, local, tribal, or foreign
governmental agencies or multilateral governmental organizations
responsible for investigating or prosecuting the violations of, or for
enforcing or implementing, a statute, rule, regulation, order, license,
or treaty where DHS determines that the information would assist in the
enforcement of civil or criminal laws;
G. To federal and foreign government intelligence or
counterterrorism agencies when DHS reasonably believes there to be a
threat or potential threat to national or international security for
which the information may be useful in countering the threat or
potential threat, when DHS reasonably believes such use is to assist in
anti-terrorism efforts, and disclosure is appropriate to the proper
performance of the official duties of the person making the disclosure;
H. To employers participating in the Basic Pilot Verification
Program or any successor program thereof, in order to verify the
employment eligibility of all newly hired employees in the United
States.
I. To a Congressional office, from the record of an individual in
response to an inquiry from that Congressional office made at the
request of the individual to whom the record pertains.
J. To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when: (1) It is
suspected or confirmed that the security or confidentiality of
information in the system of records has been compromised; (2) USCIS
has determined that as a result of the suspected or confirmed
compromise there is a risk of harm to economic or property interests,
identity theft or fraud, or harm to the security or integrity of this
system or other systems or programs (whether maintained by USCIS or
another agency or entity) that rely upon the compromised information;
and (3) the disclosure is made to such agencies, entities, and persons
when reasonably necessary to assist in connection with USCIS's efforts
to respond to the suspected or confirmed compromise and prevent,
minimize, or remedy such harm.
Disclosure to Consumer Reporting Agencies:
None.
Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining,
and disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
Records in the system will be stored in a central computer
database.
Retrievability:
A combination of the following BSS data elements may be used to
initiate a query in order to retrieve data from the BSS User Interface:
An individual's Alien Registration Number; name; date of birth; receipt
number; and unique enumerator.
Safeguards:
Information in this system is safeguarded in accordance with
applicable laws and policies, including the DHS information technology
security policies and the Federal Information Security Management Act
(FISMA). All records are protected from unauthorized access through
appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. These
safeguards include restricting access to authorized personnel who have
a need-to-know, using locks, and password protection features. The
system is also protected through a multi-layer security approach. The
protective strategies are physical, technical, administrative and
environmental in nature, which provide access control to sensitive
data, physical access control to DHS facilities, confidentiality of
communications, authentication of sending parties, and personnel
screening to ensure that all personnel with access to data are screened
through background investigations commensurate with the level of access
required to perform their duties.
Retention and disposal:
The following proposal for retention and disposal is pending
approval by the National Archives and Records Administration. Records
are stored and retained in the BSS Repository for seventy-five (75)
years, from the date of last action on the file. BSS is utilizing ISRS'
retention schedule as a model. Biometric-based background checks are
conducted on individuals and/or petitioners from the age of fourteen
(14) and up. The 75-year retention rate comes from the length of time
USCIS may interact with a customer. Further, retaining the data for
this period of time will enable USCIS to fight identity fraud and
misappropriation of benefits.
System manager(s) and address:
Branch Chief of Application Support for Office of Field Operations,
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland
Security, 20 Massachusetts Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20529.
Notification procedure:
To determine whether this system contains records relating to you,
write the USCIS Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act officer. Mail
requests to: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, National
Records Center, FOIA/PA Office, P.O. Box 648010, Lee's Summit, MO
64064-8010.
Record access procedures:
Follow ``Notification procedures'' above.
[[Page 17176]]
Contesting record procedures:
Redress procedures are established and operated by the program
through which the data was originally collected. In the case of redress
requests for DHS organizations, if an individual is not satisfied with
the response, an individual can appeal his or her case to the DHS Chief
Privacy Officer, who will conduct a review and provide final
adjudication on the matter.
Record source categories:
Information contained in this system of records is obtained from
other USCIS Systems of Records; including, CLAIMS3, NPS II/ICPS, and
electronic live scan devices located at ASCs. Information contained in
the system is also obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
and the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator
Technology. All information contained in BSS is derived from the above
systems.
Exemptions claimed for the system:
None.
Dated: March 28, 2007.
Hugo Teufel III,
Chief Privacy Officer.
[FR Doc. 07-1643 Filed 4-5-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-10-P