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For Immediate Release
October 24, 2007
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Washington D.C.
U.S. Terrorist Screening Center
Contact: Paul Bresson, 202-324-3691
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Newly Signed Government-wide Watchlisting Redress
MOU
TSC Leads Federal Inter-Agency
Cooperation Enhancing Existing Roles and Responsibilities
to Address Redress Cases
Redress MOU Fact Sheet
Text of the MOU pdf
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The U.S. Terrorist Screening Center (TSC), the U.S. government’s
consolidation point for known or appropriately suspected
terrorist watchlist information, both foreign and domestic,
announced today the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding
on Terrorist Watchlist Redress Procedures (MOU) by senior-level
federal inter-agency partners.
The redress MOU, a formal document that standardizes
the pre-existing inter-agency watchlist redress process,
serves to enhance inter-agency roles and responsibilities
to ensure a fair, timely, and independent review of an
individual’s complaint. The redress process also
ensures that information on the watchlist and related U.S.
government information systems will be reviewed for accuracy
and that, where warranted, errors are corrected. Since
2005, TSC’s independent Redress Unit has successfully
resolved over 90 percent of the complaints referred by
federal inter-agency partners.
Under the MOU, each agency agrees to appoint a senior
official to ensure full agency participation in the redress
process and overall compliance. Federal inter-agency partners
agree to secure an individual’s personal information,
update and correct their own record systems, and share
information to ensure redress complaints are resolved appropriately.
Each agency commits to providing staff and other resources
to ensure the redress process functions in a timely and
efficient manner.
“The signing of the MOU illustrates the measurable
progress and commitment by the U.S. government to ensure
individual’s rights to receive redress consideration
in a timely and fair manner,” said U.S. Terrorist
Screening Center Director Leonard C. Boyle. “We will
continue to collaborate with our federal inter-agency partners
to make certain the watchlist redress process is regularly
refined ensuring the most thorough, current, and accurate
watchlist information available.”
Although TSC does not directly accept redress
complaints from the public, individuals are encouraged
to file a complaint with the agency that conducted the
screening allowing the agency to then determine whether
the experience may be related to the terrorist watchlist.
Once a screening agency forwards a related complaint, TSC’s
independent Redress Unit provides the necessary research
and review allowing the screening agency to respond to
the complaint directly. Up to 96 percent of the redress
referrals received by TSC come from the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security (DHS), home to a number of screening
agencies. The DHS recently launched DHS TRIP or DHS Traveler
Redress Inquiry Program as the central gateway for redress
complaints for all DHS Agencies. DHS TRIP is a web based
program that can be found through the DHS website by visiting
www.dhs.gov/trip.
With support from the White House Privacy and Civil Liberties
Oversight Board the signatories of the agreement include
the most senior level government officials from the Departments
of Justice, State, Defense, Treasury, and Homeland Security
as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central
Intelligence Agency, Director of National Intelligence,
and the National Counterterrorism Center.
The U.S. Terrorist Screening Center (TSC), established
December 2003 by Homeland Security Presidential Directive-6,
serves as the U.S. government’s consolidation point
for known and suspected terrorist watchlist information,
both foreign and domestic. The consolidated watchlist
contains thousands of records that are updated daily
and shared with our federal, state, local, territorial,
tribal law enforcement, and intelligence community members
as well as international partners to ensure that individuals
with links to terrorism are appropriately screened. The
TSC, administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
and supported by federal departments and agencies that
include the departments of Justice, Homeland Security,
and State, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence,
and the National Counterterrorism Center, ensures that
information provided to and consolidated by TSC is thorough,
current, and accurate.
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