Hearing of the House Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism - Homeland Security Beyond Our Borders

Statement

Hearing of the House Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism - Homeland Security Beyond Our Borders: Examining the Status of Counterterrorism Coordination Overseas

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REP. GUS M. BILIRAKIS (R-FL): Thank you, Madame Chairwoman, I appreciate it.

I'm especially interested in the Visa Security Program, which performs proactive law enforcement vetting and investigation of visa applications overseas. My first question is for Ambassador Lino and Mr. Cote.

Would you please update us on the status of the Visa Security Program and share with us types of activities that DHS officers overseas engage in to enhance the visa process as a law enforcement and counterterrorism tool?

MS. LINO: Okay. It's precisely for this reason that Mr. Cote is here to talk about the specifics of programs that ICE carries overseas, so I would ask him to respond to your question.

REP. BILIRAKIS: Thank you.

MR. COTE: Thank you for the question.

Since the inception of the Visa Security Program under the Homeland Security Act of 2003, we've put together a program in an overseas realm that encompasses nine offices now, with the program to expand to 32 offices within the next five years.

That, under the -- and working with our partners here at the table, and especially the Consular Affairs Office at the State Department, we feel that we can proceed and cover 75 percent of the most high-threat visa-issuing posts by this expansion plan.

In addition to that, we are working with our law enforcement working groups and our law enforcement working partners at the country team level to facilitate any of the information that we get within DHS to add to the more secure process of visa issuance.

REP. BILIRAKIS: Okay, do the officers actually go out into the field to investigate applicants, or are they primarily researching databases for information that might be a cause for concern? And then also, which countries? You mentioned nine posts, and I believe there are eight countries. Can you name those countries?

MR. COTE: Because of security concerns and the confidentiality, I would love to give you that information in a closed session. But in an open forum, I think there could be some security issues there. But we'd certainly provide that information to you.

REP. BILIRAKIS: We welcome that; thank you.

MR. COTE: And as far as working -- primarily, the visa security officers work within the consular sections to provide that immigration law enforcement background to the visa process. We do work with the host government agencies, and specifically the ARSOI program and the RSOs at post to facilitate any of the information that's needed for background on any of the investigations that are done locally.

REP. BILIRAKIS: Okay, next question: What happens when an officer discovers something they believe should make an applicant inadmissible? Do they actually recommend to the consular officials denial of applications? What happens if the consular officials disagree with this? And what do visa service officers look for that would raise a red flag?

MR. COTE: Part of the job of the visa security officers is to work with the law enforcement working group to identify any threats or information there at post. They bring that law enforcement information to the visa process, and the consular officers are the people mandated and have the authority to issue visas. We bring that information to the consular officers and we work collaboratively with them to get all of the information to them to make an informed decision. And if we recommend denials to the consular officers, those are transmitted in a way that is under a specific set of immigration laws for justification for that. And there is a process at the departmental level where, if there is a conflict, it can be resolved at that level.

REP. BILIRAKIS: Okay, last question, Madame Chair.

Do these officials look for anti-American statements by visa applicants or connections with other individuals or groups that espouse anti-American rhetoric or promote violence?

MR. COTE: We look at any potential threat to the United States that we get from our law enforcement partners and from our host country associates that we work with. We would evaluate the information, and as part of the normal visa process, we would collaborate with the State Department in order to make those decisions. But ultimately, we would want to work with the State Department in order for that decision to be made by them.

REP. BILIRAKIS: Okay, thank you. I'll look forward to working with you on this issue.

Thank you, Madame Chairwoman, I appreciate it.

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