akayal1973
Registered Users (C)
Here is an excerpt from an article dated Oct 23, 2006 in NY Times:
". . . Last month, in court papers seeking the dismissal of a federal lawsuit brought on behalf of stymied applicants in New York, lawyers for the government provided a rare window into the F.B.I.’s National Name Check Program, giving insight on why the process can take so long.
The first step involves a computerized search of the F.B.I.’s Universal Index of 94.6 million records for all mentions of a name, a close date of birth and a Social Security number. Different permutations of the name are tried, like the first and middle name only. Nearly a third of naturalization cases come back as having a potential match.
Most of those are cleared up within three months through a search of computer databases. But in 10 percent of all cases, the possible reference is in paper records created before automation in October 1995 and in one of 265 possible locations. F.B.I. analysts must retrieve and review records to see whether the information actually pertains to the same individual and is derogatory.
“Common names (such as Mohammed, Singh, or Smith) may result in hundreds of potential matches,” government lawyers wrote. “The sheer volume of the requests has also resulted in delays.”
Immigration name checks compete not only with those needed for counterintelligence, but also with a growing number sought by government agencies before they bestow a privilege, like attendance at a White House function. Demand has risen drastically, from 2.5 million requests a year before Sept. 11, 2001, to more than 3.7 million in fiscal year 2005. Among those still unresolved are more than 400,000 immigrant name checks dating to December 2002."
". . . Last month, in court papers seeking the dismissal of a federal lawsuit brought on behalf of stymied applicants in New York, lawyers for the government provided a rare window into the F.B.I.’s National Name Check Program, giving insight on why the process can take so long.
The first step involves a computerized search of the F.B.I.’s Universal Index of 94.6 million records for all mentions of a name, a close date of birth and a Social Security number. Different permutations of the name are tried, like the first and middle name only. Nearly a third of naturalization cases come back as having a potential match.
Most of those are cleared up within three months through a search of computer databases. But in 10 percent of all cases, the possible reference is in paper records created before automation in October 1995 and in one of 265 possible locations. F.B.I. analysts must retrieve and review records to see whether the information actually pertains to the same individual and is derogatory.
“Common names (such as Mohammed, Singh, or Smith) may result in hundreds of potential matches,” government lawyers wrote. “The sheer volume of the requests has also resulted in delays.”
Immigration name checks compete not only with those needed for counterintelligence, but also with a growing number sought by government agencies before they bestow a privilege, like attendance at a White House function. Demand has risen drastically, from 2.5 million requests a year before Sept. 11, 2001, to more than 3.7 million in fiscal year 2005. Among those still unresolved are more than 400,000 immigrant name checks dating to December 2002."