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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For Information
Contact:
Monday, September 19, 2016 Public
Affairs (202) 254-4100
Potentially Ineligible Individuals Have
Been Granted U.S. Citizenship Because of Incomplete Fingerprint Records
The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector
General (OIG) today released a report that found that U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS) granted U.S. citizenship to at least 858
individuals from special interest countries who had been ordered deported or
removed under another name. This happened because neither the digital
fingerprint repository at DHS nor the repository at the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) contains all old fingerprint records of individuals
previously deported.
In the new report,
“Potentially Ineligible Individuals Have
Been Granted U.S. Citizenship Because of Incomplete Fingerprint Records,”
OIG found that the
records are missing from the DHS digital repository because paper-based
fingerprint cards used prior to 2008 were not consistently digitized and
uploaded into the repository. The FBI repository is also missing records
because, in the past, fingerprints collected during immigration enforcement
encounters were not always forwarded to the FBI. Currently, about 148,000
fingerprint records of aliens from special interest countries who had final
deportation orders or who are criminals or fugitives have yet to be digitized.
Incomplete
digital fingerprint records hinder adjudicators’ full review of naturalization
applications and may lead to USCIS granting the rights and privileges of U.S. citizenship
to those who may be ineligible or may be trying to obtain citizenship
fraudulently. For example, OIG learned that at least three individuals who
became naturalized citizens after having been deported under a different
identity had obtained credentials to conduct security-sensitive work at
commercial airports or maritime facilities and vessels. Since being identified,
all have had their credentials revoked.
Additionally,
the Department has investigated very few of these individuals to determine
whether they should be denaturalized or criminally prosecuted.
“This situation created
opportunities for individuals to gain the rights and privileges of U.S.
citizenship through fraud,” said Inspector General John Roth. “To prevent fraud
and ensure thorough review of naturalization applications, USCIS needs access to these
fingerprint records. DHS agreed with our
recommendations. ICE has plans to digitize and upload all available fingerprint
records, and the Department has told us it plans to review the eligibility of
each naturalized citizen whose fingerprint records reveal a deportation order
under a different identity. We will continue to monitor DHS’ progress.”
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