Ethan Hannigan
In an opinion piece Homeland Security Today published Wednesday, Charles O’Brien, senior vice president for civil solutions at SOSi, argued that the inefficiency of U.S. immigration law enforcement stems from the lack of information sharing between federal agencies.
The SOSi executive said the fragmented systems and manual processes lead to missed opportunities, operational inefficiencies and safety risks, as agencies struggle with data gaps that could allow high-risk individuals to avoid detection or hinder the identification of human trafficking patterns.
Bridging the Information Gap
O’Brien suggested bridging these gaps via a comprehensive digital transformation, leveraging interoperable databases and artificial intelligence to streamline operations and improve security. He emphasized the importance of having a single source where agencies can access real-time information, reducing manual errors and ensuring more effective tracking of immigration cases.
He also discussed the importance of data integrity, security and compartmentalization in designing the proposed system. While acknowledging challenges, including past failures like the ENFORCE platform, O’Brien highlighted successful models like the Department of Justice’s Special Operations Division, which demonstrated the effectiveness of interagency collaboration.
O’Brien stressed the need for a strategic investment in technology and cross-industry collaboration to build a more efficient, secure and humane immigration enforcement system.
