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To determine whether you are allowed to enter the U.S., immigration officers may check a lot of information about you. They have access to several databases, including FBI databases.
You might be concerned about what U.S. immigration officers can see on their screens at border control. If so, you will want to know about the databases and details they have access to.
What Databases Do U.S. Immigration Officers Have Access to?
Immigration officers can access several different databases to check personal, criminal, and other details about you before you cross the U.S. border. One of the primary databases they use is one the FBI uses, called the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). This database is an index of criminal justice information, such as criminal record history.
Additionally, the immigration officers have access to:
- The Terrorist Screening Database the FBI uses
- The Border Crossing Information system of records
- The Interagency Border Inspection System
- Other databases, including some created by other international organizations
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What Information Do Immigration Officers in the U.S. Have?
U.S. immigration officers collect or verify basic personal information about you whenever you cross the U.S. border. This basic information includes your:
- Name
- Country of citizenship
- Home address
- Date of birth
- Method of travel
- Purpose of travel
The computers the immigration officers use to analyze this information is to determine whether you could be considered suspicious or a potential security threat.
When You are Considered Suspicious or a Potential Threat
Further information about you will be collected if a customs official believes you are suspicious or a potential security threat and inspects or searches you. This other information could be:
- The fact that you were considered suspicious or a potential threat
- Any determinations or findings after your inspection or search
- The personal information of your travel companions
- Details about anything else the official did
Additional Information an Officer Can Get About You
If an officer believes there is a reason to get even more information about you, they may be able to get:
- Any criminal history you have
- Your citizenship status
- Employment information
- Your phone numbers
- Your property records
- Credit card data
- Your social media history
- Information about your family members
Your Privacy and Protection Concerns
You may have concerns about your privacy at the border, and you might be wondering whether your information should be protected. The truth is that the government can legally collect information at the border about you, including your personal and criminal details. Also, for personal information collected at the border, a court may not grant you the same protections they would grant you for personal information collected elsewhere.
Additionally, some of your information may be passed to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) so they can detect any insurance fraud or a stolen vehicle.
If you have concerns about how your personal information is gathered and handled, you may be able to get a copy of your file from an agency and review the information in it. However, it may be difficult for you to get this file.
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How an Immigration Attorney from Our Firm Can Help You
One of the immigration attorneys from our law firm may be able to help you obtain your personal information record from one of the agencies that collect this kind of information. According to the United States’ Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), you have the right to view this information. You can submit a FOIA request to get this information, or you can get an attorney from our firm to do it for you.
One of the first things your immigration lawyer will do is help you determine what kind of information you want to request. Afterward, your lawyer will help you make your request. The more detailed you and your lawyer are in your request, the better.
There is more one of our immigration law lawyers may be able to do for you. First, if for whatever reason, you believe you were placed on a watch list wrongly, an attorney may be able to contest some of the contents of your file. If you believe your rights were violated, one of our attorneys can investigate the matter. Finally, if you need any legal advice, reach out to us.
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Contact New Frontier Immigration Law for Help Today
You can contact us about any matters we have mentioned or any immigration-related issues. Our immigration attorneys want to protect your rights and privacy and defend you against any threat of deportation. If you believe your residency in the U.S. is under any threat, do not hesitate to contact us.
Upon calling us, we will ask you if you would like to have a case evaluation and strategic session with us. If so, we will tell you more about our immigration attorneys and what they will be able to do for you. So call New Frontier Immigration Law today.
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