81 FR 79511 - Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Office of the Secretary

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 219 (November 14, 2016)

This document provides notice of the existence of a computer matching program between the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance, titled ``Verification Division DHS-USCIS/MA- DUA.''

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 219 (Monday, November 14, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79511-79512]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27132]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. DHS-2016-0081]


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services.

ACTION: Notice of Recertification.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This document provides notice of the existence of a computer 
matching program between the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Massachusetts Division of 
Unemployment Assistance, titled ``Verification Division DHS-USCIS/MA-
DUA.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services provides this notice in accordance 
with The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended by the 
Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-503) 
and the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Amendments of 1990 
(Pub. L. 101-508) (Privacy Act); Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
Final Guidance Interpreting the Provisions of Public Law 100-503, the 
Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988, 54 FR 25818 (June 
19, 1989); and appendix I to OMB's Revision of Circular No. A-130 
(November 28, 2000), ``Transmittal Memorandum No. 4, Management of 
Federal Information Resources.''
    Participating Agencies: The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS-USCIS) is the source agency 
and the Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance (MA-DUA) is 
the recipient agency.
    Purpose of the Match: The purpose of this Agreement is to establish 
the terms and conditions governing MA-DUA's access to, and use of, the 
DHS-USCIS Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) 
Program, which provides immigration status information from Federal 
immigration records to authorized users, and to comply with the 
Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988.
    Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance will use the SAVE 
Program to verify the immigration status of non-U.S. citizens who apply 
for benefits (Benefit Applicants) under the Unemployment Compensation 
(UC) benefits that it administers. Under Federal law, immigrant workers 
must be in particular immigration categories to qualify for UC 
benefits. Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance will use 
the information obtained through the SAVE Program to determine whether 
Benefit Applicants possess the requisite immigration status to be 
eligible for the UC benefits administered by MA-DUA.
    Authority for Conducting the Matching Program: Section 121 of the 
Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986, Public Law 99-603, 
as amended by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), Public Law 104-193, 110 Stat. 2168 
(1996), requires DHS to establish a system for the verification of 
immigration status of alien applicants for, or recipients of,

[[Page 79512]]

certain types of benefits as specified within IRCA, and to make this 
system available to state agencies that administer such benefits. 
Section 121(c) of IRCA amends sec. 1137 of the Social Security Act and 
certain other sections of law that pertain to federal entitlement 
benefit programs. Section 121(c) requires State agencies administering 
these programs to use DHS-USCIS's verification system to make 
eligibility determinations in order to prevent the issuance of benefits 
to ineligible alien applicants. The SAVE Program is the DHS-USCIS 
system available to the MA-DUA and other covered agencies for use in 
making these eligibility determinations.
    The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 
1996 (IIRIRA), Public Law 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009 (1996) grants 
Federal, State, or local government agencies seeking to verify or 
ascertain the citizenship or immigration status of any individual 
within the jurisdiction of the agency with the authority to request 
such information from DHS-USCIS for any purpose authorized by law.
    Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance will access 
information contained in the SAVE Program for the purpose of confirming 
the immigration status of alien applicants for, or recipients of, 
benefits it administers to discharge its obligation to conduct such 
verifications pursuant to sec. 1137 of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1320b-7(a) et seq.) and Massachusetts Gen. Laws ch. 151A, sec. 
25(h).
    Categories of Records and Individuals Covered: The SAVE Program 
uses the DHS-USCIS Verification Information System (VIS) database to 
verify immigration status, which contains information related to the 
status of aliens, and naturalized citizens, and to the extent they have 
applied for Certificates of Citizenship, derived U.S. citizens, on whom 
DHS-USCIS has a record as an applicant, petitioner, sponsor, or 
beneficiary. See DHS/USCIS-004 Systematic Alien Verification for 
Entitlements (SAVE) Systems of Records Notice, 77 FR 47415 (August 8, 
2012).
    Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance records 
pertaining to non-citizen Benefit Applicants for, or recipients of, UC 
benefits administered by MA-DUA.

    Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance will match the 
following records with DHS-USCIS records:

 Alien Registration Number
 1-94 Number
 Last Name
 First Name
 Middle Name
 Date of Birth
 Nationality
 Social Security number (SSN)

    DHS-USCIS will match the following records with MA-DUA records:

 Alien Registration Number
 Last Name
 First Name
 Middle Name
 Date of Birth
 Country of Birth (not nationality)
 SSN (if available)
 Date of Entry
 Immigration Status Data
 Sponsorship Information (sponsor's full name, SSN, and 
address)

    System of Records: DHS/USCIS-004 Systematic Alien Verification for 
Entitlements Program System of Records Notice, 77 FR 47415 (August 8, 
2012).
    Inclusive Dates of the Matching Program: The inclusive dates of the 
matching program are from December 14, 2016, and continuing for 18 
months through June 13, 2018. The matching program may be extended for 
up to an additional 12 months thereafter, if certain conditions are 
met.
    Address for Receipt of Public Comments or Inquires: Individuals 
wishing to comment on this matching program or obtain additional 
information about the program, including requesting a copy of the 
computer matching agreement between DHS-USCIS and MA-DUA, may contact:
    For general questions please contact: Donald K. Hawkins, 202-272-
8030, Privacy Officer, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 
Department of Homeland Security, 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20529.
    For privacy questions please contact: Jonathan R. Cantor, 202-343-
1717, Acting Chief Privacy Officer, Privacy Office, Department of 
Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528.

    Dated: November 1, 2016.
Jonathan R. Cantor,
Acting Chief Privacy Officer, Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2016-27132 Filed 11-10-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-9L-P