New ICE System Analyzes Suspicious Relationships, Patterns, Klasko Newsletter Excerpt

February 2008

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to soon launch the "ICE Pattern Analysis and Information Collection (ICEPIC)” System. The system is intended to assist investigators by "identifying suspect identities and discovering possible non-obvious relationships among individuals and organizations" to discern violations of customs and immigration laws as well as possible terrorist threats or plots. The databases, which ICE declined to identify specifically, include those that track foreign students and visitors, immigrants, criminals, and suspected terrorists. "All ICEPIC activity is associated with ongoing and valid law enforcement investigations," a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report noted.

ICEPIC reveals relationships to an identified target, but it is not used to reveal a "predictive pattern," the report said. From the relationships identified, ICE agents will develop specific leads and intelligence for active and new investigations.

The system reportedly includes the terrorist watch list, from which an estimated 15,000 people have appealed to have their names removed because of incomplete information or inaccuracies.

The report is available at http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/privacy/privacy_pia_ice_icepic.pdf. A January 30 proposed rule to exempt parts of ICEPIC from the Privacy Act is at http://frwebgate1.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi
?WAISdocID=042632391282+0+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve.

Related Information:

• New ICE System Analyzes Suspicious Relationships, Patterns (PDF)