Homeland Security granted 859 deportees U.S. citizenship by mistake
- 8 years ago
WASHINGTON — Due to flawed fingerprint records, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had mistakenly granted American citizenship to 859 deportees, a U.S. government audit has found.
According to NPR, the Office of Inspector General report says that FBI and the DHS don’t have the fingerprints of deportees because they didn’t have the records within their databases. The DHS didn’t start digitizing fingerprints records until 2007.
There remains 148,000 paper records belonging to deportees, criminals or fugitives that need to be uploaded to the database, NPR reported, citing the report.
According to the report, three of those mistakenly granted citizenship were working in security sensitives roles in airports and maritime facilities. Their credentials were revoked.
The investigation was ordered after terror attacks in San Bernadino, California and Paris last year.
According to NPR, the Office of Inspector General report says that FBI and the DHS don’t have the fingerprints of deportees because they didn’t have the records within their databases. The DHS didn’t start digitizing fingerprints records until 2007.
There remains 148,000 paper records belonging to deportees, criminals or fugitives that need to be uploaded to the database, NPR reported, citing the report.
According to the report, three of those mistakenly granted citizenship were working in security sensitives roles in airports and maritime facilities. Their credentials were revoked.
The investigation was ordered after terror attacks in San Bernadino, California and Paris last year.