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Title 8, Aliens and NationalityRelease 119-110

§1721 Interim Measures for Access to and Coordination of Law Enforcement and Other Information

Title 8 › CHAPTER 15 — ENHANCED BORDER SECURITY AND VISA ENTRY REFORM › SUBCHAPTER II — INTERAGENCY INFORMATION SHARING › § 1721

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies must share, as much as they can, information with the Department of State and the Immigration and Naturalization Service to help decide visa applications and whether people may enter or must be removed from the United States. The President must send Congress a report by 120 days after May 14, 2002 listing what law enforcement and intelligence information the State Department and INS need for screening. Then, by one year after October 26, 2001, the President must create and carry out a plan, based on that report, to get those agencies to provide the needed information quickly. The plan must be developed with congressional consultation and must set rules that limit further sharing, require use only for visa or admission/removal decisions (unless other federal law allows it), protect accuracy, security, and privacy, remove wrong or outdated records quickly, and safeguard intelligence sources and methods as required by section 403–3(c)(7) of title 50. Anyone who accesses the information without authorization or beyond their rights and misuses it as described in paragraphs (1) through (7) of section 1030(a) of title 18, or tries to, faces the same penalties as under section 1030(c) of title 18.

Full Legal Text

Title 8, §1721

Aliens and Nationality, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Interim directive
Until the plan required by subsection (c) is implemented, Federal law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community shall, to the maximum extent practicable, share any information with the Department of State and the Immigration and Naturalization Service relevant to the admissibility and deportability of aliens, consistent with the plan described in subsection (c).
(b)Report identifying law enforcement and intelligence information
(1)In general
Not later than 120 days after May 14, 2002, the President shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report identifying Federal law enforcement and the intelligence community information needed by the Department of State to screen visa applicants, or by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to screen applicants for admission to the United States, and to identify those aliens inadmissible or deportable under the Immigration and Nationality Act [8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.].
(2)Omitted
(c)Coordination plan
(1)Requirement for plan
Not later than one year after October 26, 2001, the President shall develop and implement a plan based on the findings of the report under subsection (b) that requires Federal law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community to provide to the Department of State and the Immigration and Naturalization Service all information identified in that report as expeditiously as practicable.
(2)Consultation requirement
In the preparation and implementation of the plan under this subsection, the President shall consult with the appropriate committees of Congress.
(3)Protections regarding information and uses thereof (4) Criminal penalties for misuse of information
The plan under this subsection shall establish conditions for using the information described in subsection (b) received by the Department of State and Immigration and Naturalization Service—
(A)to limit the redissemination of such information;
(B)to ensure that such information is used solely to determine whether to issue a visa to an alien or to determine the admissibility or deportability of an alien to the United States, except as otherwise authorized under Federal law;
(C)to ensure the accuracy, security, and confidentiality of such information;
(D)to protect any privacy rights of individuals who are subjects of such information;
(E)to provide data integrity through the timely removal and destruction of obsolete or erroneous names and information; and
(F)in a manner that protects the sources and methods used to acquire intelligence information as required by section 403–3(c)(7) of title 50.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Immigration and Nationality Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), is act June 27, 1952, ch. 477, 66 Stat. 163, which is classified principally to chapter 12 (§ 1101 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1101 of this title and Tables. Section 403–3 of title 50, referred to in subsec. (c)(3)(F), was repealed and a new section 403–3 was enacted by Pub. L. 108–458, title I, § 1011(a), Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3643, 3655, and subsequently editorially reclassified to section 3025 of Title 50, War and National Defense; as so enacted, subsec. (c)(7) no longer contains provisions relating to the protection of sources and methods used to acquire intelligence information. See section 3024 of Title 50. Codification Section is comprised of section 201 of Pub. L. 107–173. Subsec. (b)(2) of section 201 of Pub. L. 107–173 amended provisions set out as a note under section 1365a of this title. Subsec. (c)(5) of section 201 of Pub. L. 107–173 amended section 1379 of this title.

Amendments

2003—Subsec. (c)(3)(F). Pub. L. 108–177 substituted “section 403–3(c)(7) of title 50” for “section 403–3(c)(6) of title 50”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service and

Transfer of Functions

For abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service,

Transfer of Functions

, and treatment of related references, see note set out under section 1551 of this title. Enhancement of Communications Integration and Information Sharing on Border Security Pub. L. 109–13, div. B, title III, § 303,
May 11, 2005, 119 Stat. 317, provided that: “(a) In General.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this division [
May 11, 2005], the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security, in consultation with the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology, the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, and other appropriate Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies, shall develop and implement a plan—“(1) to improve the communications systems of the departments and agencies of the Federal Government in order to facilitate the integration of communications among the departments and agencies of the Federal Government and State, local government agencies, and Indian tribal agencies on matters relating to border security; and “(2) to enhance information sharing among the departments and agencies of the Federal Government, State and local government agencies, and Indian tribal agencies on such matters. “(b) Report.—Not later than 1 year after implementing the plan under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit a copy of the plan and a report on the plan, including any recommendations the Secretary finds appropriate, to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the House of Representatives Committee on Science [now Committee on Science, Space, and Technology], the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, and the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

8 U.S.C. § 1721

Title 8, Aliens and Nationality

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110