Protecting the National Security and Welfare of the United States and Its Citizens From Criminal Actors and Other Public Safety Threats

Key Points

• The President signed an order requiring the Department of Justice to give the Department of Homeland Security full access to criminal history records. This allows border agents to better identify people with criminal pasts who are trying to enter or stay in the United States.
• The government will also begin swapping criminal record information with trusted foreign countries and allies. This is a two-way street where the U.S. shares information on convicted felons in exchange for similar data from other nations to help with border screening.
• The policy aims to stop dangerous individuals, such as drug smugglers, human traffickers, and terrorists, from crossing borders. By sharing data more widely, officials can more accurately screen travelers and immigrants before they are allowed into a country.
• Any data sharing with foreign governments must include privacy protections for U.S. citizens and other individuals. These agreements are required to have safeguards to ensure the information is only used for immigration and border security purposes.