Federal Register: April 3, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 63)
DOCID: FR Doc E6-4693
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau
CFR Citation: 6 CFR Part 5
DHS ID: [DHS-2006-0012]
NOTICE: PROPOSED RULES
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Privacy Act of 1974: Implementation of Exemptions
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 3, 2006.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
The Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is giving notice of a new system of records pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 for the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, the General Counsel Electronic Management System. In this proposed rulemaking, the Department proposes to exempt portions of this system of records from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act because of criminal, civil and administrative enforcement requirements.
SUMMARY:
Privacy Act; implementation,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Background
The Privacy Act requires each agency to publish in the Federal Register a description of the type and character of each system of records that the agency maintains, and the routine uses that are contained in each system in order to make agency record keeping practices transparent, to notify individuals regarding the uses to which personally identifiable information is put, and to assist individuals in finding such files within the agency. That description appears elsewhere in today's Federal Register.
The Privacy Act allows government agencies to exempt certain records from its access and amendment and certain other provisions. If an agency claims an exemption, however, it must issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to make clear to the public the reasons why a particular exemption is claimed.
The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is publishing a new system of records under the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a. This system, the General Counsel Electronic Management System (GEMS), will consist of information that is created or acquired and used by attorneys working in ICE in the preparation and presentation of cases for a court or adjudicative body before which ICE or DHS is authorized or required to appear. Attorneys for the Department of Justice will also be able to access the system if they have a need for the information in the performance of their official duties.
ICE attorneys work closely with investigators throughout the process of adjudicating immigration cases. ICE attorneys must have access to investigative documents and related materials in order to inform their decisions about how to handle particular cases. Additionally, of course, ICE attorneys create attorney work product associated with immigration proceedings. The GEMS system will facilitate the collection and maintenance of materials used by ICE attorneys in immigration adjudications. It will supplement and ultimately replace the current attorney work product paper files that are primarily stored and managed in the hardcopy alien file commonly known as the ``Afile.''
In this notice of proposed rulemaking, DHS is proposing to exempt
this system, in part, from certain provisions of the Privacy Act and to
add that exemption to Appendix C to Part 5, DHS Systems of Records
Exempt from the Privacy Act. Given the nature and purpose of the
proposed system of records, a significant portion of the records are
likely to be exempt from disclosure under the Privacy Act pursuant to 5
U.S.C. 552a(d)(5). This record system, however, will also derive
information or incorporate investigative materials from Privacy Act
exempt files. In order to ensure that the exemptions applicable to such
investigative materials carry over when those materials are
incorporated into the GEMS system, DHS is claiming those exemptions in
this notice of proposed rulemaking. In appropriate circumstances, where
compliance would not appear to interfere with or adversely affect the
litigationrelated purposes of this system and the overall law
enforcement process, the applicable exemptions may be waived. List of Subjects in 6 CFR Part 5
Privacy; Freedom of information.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, DHS proposes to amend Chapter I of Title 6, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows: PART 5DISCLOSURE OF RECORDS AND INFORMATION
1. The authority citation for Part 5 continues to read as follows: [[Page 16520]]
Authority: Pub. L. 107296, 116 Stat. 2135, 6 U.S.C. 101 et seq.; 5 U.S.C. 301. Subpart A also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552. Subpart B also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552a.
2. At the end of Appendix C to Part 5, which was proposed to be
added at 70 FR 14428, March 22, 2005, add the following new paragraph ``4'':
Appendix C to Part 5DHS Systems of Records Exempt From the Privacy Act
* * * * *
4. The General Counsel Electronic Management System (GEMS) consists of records and information created or collected by attorneys for the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which will be used in the preparation and presentation of cases before a court or other adjudicative body. ICE attorneys work closely with their investigators throughout the process of adjudicating immigration cases. GEMS allows ICE attorneys to store all the materials pertaining to immigration adjudications, including documents related to investigations, case notes and other hearing related information, and briefs and memoranda of law related to cases. Having this information in one system should not only facilitate the work of the ICE attorneys involved in the particular case, but also will provide a legal resource for other attorneys who are adjudicating similar cases. The system will also provide management capabilities for tracking time and effort expended in the preparation and presentation of cases.
Pursuant to exemptions 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2) of the Privacy Act,
portions of this system are exempt from 5 U.S.C. 552a(c)(3) and (4);
(d); (e)(1), (e)(2), (e)(3), (e)(4)(G), (e)(4)(H), (e)(5) and (e)(8);
(f)(2) through (5); and (g). Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a (k)(1) and
(k)(2), this system is exempt from the following provisions of the
Privacy Act, subject to the limitations set forth in those subsections:
5 U.S.C. 552a (c)(3), (d), (e)(1), (e)(4)(G), (e)(4)(H), and (f).
Exemptions from these particular subsections are justified, on a case
bycase basis to be determined at the time a request is made, for the following reasons:
(a) From subsection (c)(3) (Accounting for Disclosures) because
release of the accounting of disclosures could alert the subject of an
investigation of an actual or potential criminal, civil, or regulatory
violation, to the existence of the investigation, which in some cases
may be classified, and reveal investigative interest on the part of DHS
or ICE. Disclosure of the accounting would therefore present a serious
impediment to law enforcement efforts and/or efforts to preserve
national security. Disclosure of the accounting would also permit the
individual who is the subject of a record to impede the investigation,
tamper with witnesses or evidence, and avoid detection or apprehension, which would undermine the entire investigative process.
(b) From subsection (d) (Access to Records) because access to the
records contained in this system of records could inform the subject of
an investigation pertaining to an immigration matter, which in some
cases may be classified, and prematurely reveal investigative interest
on the part of DHS or another agency. Access to the records could
permit the individual who is the subject of a record to impede the
investigation, tamper with witnesses or evidence, and avoid detection
or apprehension. Amendment of the records could interfere with ongoing
investigations and law enforcement activities and would impose an
impossible administrative burden by requiring investigations to be
continuously reinvestigated. In addition, permitting access and
amendment to such information could disclose securitysensitive
information that could be detrimental to homeland security.
(c) From subsection (e)(1) (Relevancy and Necessity of Information)
because in the course of investigations into potential violations of
federal immigration law, the accuracy of information obtained or
introduced occasionally may be unclear or the information may not be
strictly relevant or necessary to a specific investigation. In the
interests of effective law enforcement and for the protection of
national security, it is appropriate to retain all information that may aid in establishing patterns of unlawful activity.
(d) From subsection (e)(2) (Collection of Information from
Individuals) because requiring that information be collected from the
subject of an investigation would alert the subject of the nature or
existence of an investigation, which could cause interference with the
investigation, a related inquiry or other law enforcement activities, some of which may be classified.
(e) From subsection (e)(3) (Notice to Subjects) because providing
such detailed information would impede law enforcement in that it could
compromise the existence of a confidential investigation or reveal the identity of witnesses or confidential informants.
(f) From subsections (e)(4)(G) and (H) (Agency Requirements), (f)
(Agency Rules), and (g) (Civil Remedies) because portions of this
system are exempt from the individual access provisions of subsection (d).
(g) From subsection (e)(5) (Collection of Information) because in
the collection of information for law enforcement purposes it is
impossible to determine in advance what information is accurate, relevant, timely, and complete.
(h) From subsection (e)(8) (Notice on Individuals) because
compliance would interfere with ICE's ability to obtain, serve, and
issue subpoenas, warrants and other law enforcement mechanisms that may
be filed under seal, and could result in disclosure of investigative techniques, procedures, and evidence.
(i) From subsection (g) to the extent that the system is exempt from other specific subsections of the Privacy Act.
Dated: March 23, 2006.
Maureen Cooney,
Acting Chief Privacy Officer.
[FR Doc. E64693 Filed 33106; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 441010P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
William C. Birkett, Chief, Knowledge Management Division, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 425 I Street, NW., Washington, DC 20536; Maureen Cooney, Acting Chief Privacy Officer, Department of Homeland Security, 601 South 12th Street, Arlington, VA 22202 by telephone (571) 2273813 or facsimile (571) 2274171.