t5 b64 gao visa docs 2 of 6 fdr- 12-18-02 gao conference re visas revoked on terrorism concerns 583

8/14/2019 T5 B64 GAO Visa Docs 2 of 6 Fdr- 12-18-02 GAO Conference Re Visas Revoked on Terrorism Concerns 583

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Prepared by: Kate BrentzelDate Prepared: December 18, 2002Reviewed by :Index: Type bundle index hereDOC Number: Type document number hereDOC Library: Type library name hereJob Code:320172

Record of InterviewTitle Entrance conference: Visas Revoked on Terrorism ConcernsPurpose To present the scope of work, preliminary objectives, andproject timeframes to the State DepartmentContact Method In-person conferenceContact Place State Department, Room 7427Contact Date December 18, 2002Participants GAO: Jess Ford, John Brummet, Judy McCloskey, Kate Brentzel

State: Harry Porter, GAO liaison; Catherine Brown (legaladvisor, consular affairs); Kevin Saba (RM/CFO); Steve Fischel(Visa office legal advisor); Mike Chang (legislative managementoffice); Kathleen Wilson (Attorney Advisor); Marlene Schwartz(State IG); Eloise Shouse (CAdeputy director); Richard Beer(Chief, Coordination Division, Visa Office); Catherine Barry(Managing Director, Visa Office); Janet Petronis (consularofficer)

Comments/Remarks:Mr. Ford opened the conference by giving an outline of the job's scope and objectives. Wethendiscussed several specific areas of inquiry:Determining the Number of Visas Revoked on Terrorism Grounds Since September 11. 2001Ms. McCloskey asked how many visas had been revoked on terrorism grounds since September 11.Ms. Barry said that although State is required to report to Congress on visas that are denied onterrorism grounds, it is not required to report on visas that have been prudentially revoked onterrorism grounds. Mr. Beer said the Visa Office does not have one central file that holds all visarevocation certificates since each certificate is retained with the individual visa applicant's file.However, he said that he would be able to collect revocation records from a variety of sources andtherefore estimate the entire universe of revoked visas since 9-11. He said that the total number issmall.Ms. Barry and Mr. Beer said that the universe of revoked visas should include three groups:


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! by: Kate Brentzel'repared: December 18,2002viewed b y :Index: Type bundle index hereDOC Number: Type document number hereDOC Library: Type library name here

Job Code:320172

Visas revoked as a result of VGTOF hits (names from FBI's Violent Gang and TerroristOrganization File were added to CLASS in summer 2002; as some of these individuals hadalready been issued visas, State then prudentially revoked their visas).Visa RevocationProcess

' " N tFor visas revoked prudentially by the Department (as opposed to those revoked in the field by \\r offi

After State receives a request f rom another agency (eg FBI, FTTTF) to revoke the visa:1. The Department prepares a revocation certificate. The DeputyAssistant Secretary for VisaServices signs the certificate and the revocation legally goes into effect once it is signed,even if the visa is never physically cancelled. - ~ \ . Tenter the revocation into IBIS.3. The Department enters the revocation information into CLASS (a new visa revocation codefor CLASS went into effect on August 12,2002. See below, "Follow-up Questions" for aquestion on this new code). CLASS entries are made so that consular officers at all overseasposts will be able to see that the person is a suspected terrorist andthat he requires asecurity advisory opinion from Washington before he can be issued another visa.4. Acable is sent from the Department to the post that issued the visa. The cable includes allthe information that is included on the revocation certificate, including the date of therevocation.

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Usually, the post will attempt to locate the individual whose visa was revoked to notify him toreturn to post so that his visa can be physically cancelled. We asked Ms. Barry if she knew if any~6fthe Condor 105 had been contacted when their visas were revoked. She said that she did not knowif this occurred or not.Role of FTTTF. FBIW e asked if the Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force (FTTTF) or the FBI were followingup onany of the individuals whose visas had been revoked, particularly the Condor 105. Mr. Beer saidthat he thinks that the FTTTF might be working on this although no one from the task force hascontacted him or Catherine Barry directly. Ms. Barry said that the State liaison at the task force,Margaret Cooperman, might be knowledgeable on this. Ms.Brown reminded us that not all of theCondor 105 were suspected terrorists some were individuals about whom the task force neededmore information in order to determine the applicant's true identity. Ms. Brown theorized that the


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-d by: Kate Brentzel- Prepared: December18, 2002eviewed by :

Index: Type bundle index hereDOC Number: Type document number hereDO C Library:Type library name hereJob Code:320172M s. Barry explained that the FBI has automated the Condor security checks and that in "nohit"cases (applicants for whom FBI has derogatoryinformation), State is getting results in about aweek. However, for cases in which there is a name hit, the FBI has been slow to report back toState. In these cases, FBI will recommend that State not issue a visa to these individuals whilevarious FBI units attempt to fully develop information on the applicant. Mr.Beer said that thereare at least 3000 visa applicants whose applications are on indefinite hold and that the numbermight be as large as 4000 or 5000. Ms.Barry said that for these cases, the FBI Condor process isvery unsatisfactory to State. She said that other security advisory cables (e.g. Donkeys, Bears) arehandled efficiently; she assumes that there are glitches in the Condor system that have yet to beironed out.Department of Homeland SecurityMr. Ford asked how the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would affect visaoperations. Ms.Brown said she thinks that the ultimate decision for issuing a visa would transferfrom the Attorney General to the Secretary of Homeland Security. She questions whether FBIwillaccept decisions made by the Secretary of HS. Ms.Barry said that it might depend on howthorough HS's internal intelligence capacity is and if FBI can thereforebe bypassed. She said thatState is still having problems with getting information from the FBI; the FBIstill has yet to fullycooperate with feeding information into State's TIPOFF database.Contacts for Visa Revocation WorkMs. Barry said that she would like HaleVanKoughnett, Visa Office Special Assistant, to be theprimary coordinator for our request (ph: 663-1152). She said that he would work with JanetPetronis to get the necessary data and Richard Beer to get the necessary files and cables.

Follow-up questions for State What prompted the new visa revocation code for CLASS inAugust 2002? Previously, was itpossible for consular officers in the field to see that an individual had had a visa revoked? Technically a revocation does not go into effect for an individual who is already traveled tothe USbefore his visa was revoked (if he leaves the US,however,and attempts to re-enter,he would find that his visa had been revoked). Before State prudentially revoked the visasof the Condor 105, did it ascertain whether or not these individuals were already in the US?


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ATTENU . _ < C E SHEETVisas Revoked Based on Terrorism ConcernsGAO Job Code #320172Entrance [ |

Date 12/18/02Status

Time 11:00 AMBriefing Q

Room 7427Exit

Name Org ROora No. Title Telephone Fax E-Mail AddressHarry Porter State/RM 7427, MS GA O Liaison (202)647-8170 (202)647-8194 [email protected]

Michelle Ca rter State/RM 7427, MS Assistant Transition Coordinator (202) 647-7656 (202)647-8194 [email protected]

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t5 b64 gao visa docs 2 of 6 fdr- 12-18-02 gao conference re visas revoked on terrorism concerns 583

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