[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 229 (Thursday, December 2, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68509-68510]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26168]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Docket No. 2021-0034]


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

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

ACTION: Notice of a re-established matching program.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended by the 
Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 and the Computer 
Matching and Privacy Protections Amendment of 1990 (Privacy Act), and 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance on the conduct of 
matching programs, notice is hereby given of the re-establishment of a 
matching program between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Massachusetts 
Department of Unemployment Assistance (MA-DUA). MA-DUA will match 
against DHS-USCIS data to verify the immigration status of non-U.S. 
citizens who apply for federal benefits (Benefit Applicants) under 
Unemployment Compensation (UC) that MA-DUA administers to determine 
whether Benefit Applicants possess the requisite immigration status to 
be eligible for the UC benefits it administers.

DATES: Please submit comments on the proposal by January 3, 2022. The 
matching program will be effective on January 3, 2022 unless comments 
have been received from interested members of the public that require 
modification and republication of the notice. The matching program will 
continue for 18 months from the beginning date and may be extended an 
additional 12 months if the conditions specified in 5 U.S.C. 
552a(o)(2)(D) have been met.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number DHS-
2021-0034 by one of the following methods:
     Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-343-4010.
     Mail: Lynn Parker Dupree, Chief Privacy Officer, Privacy 
Office, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528-0655.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number DHS-2021-0034. All comments received will be posted 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain additional information about 
this matching program and the contents of this Computer Matching 
Agreement between DHS-USCIS and MA-DUA, please view this Computer 
Matching Agreement at the following website: https://www.dhs.gov/publication/computer-matching-agreements-and-notices. For general 
questions about this matching program, contact Jonathan M. Mills, 
Acting Chief, USCIS SAVE Program at (202) 306-9874. For general privacy 
questions, please contact Lynn Parker Dupree, (202) 343-1717, Chief 
Privacy Officer, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528-
0655.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DHS-USCIS 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 OMB Circular A-108, 81 FR 94424 (December 23, 2016).
    Participating Agencies: DHS-USCIS and MA-DUA.
    Authority for Conducting the Matching Program: Section 121 of the 
Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986, Public Law No. 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 noncitizen applicants for, or recipients of, 
certain types of benefits as specified within IRCA, and to make this 
system available to state agencies that administer such benefits. The 
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 
(IIRIRA), Public Law 104-208, 110 State. 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.
    Purpose(s): The purpose of this Agreement is to establish the terms 
and

[[Page 68510]]

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. MA-DUA will use the SAVE Program to verify 
the immigration status of non-U.S. citizens who apply for federal 
benefits (Benefit Applicants) under Unemployment Compensation (UC) 
Programs to determine whether Benefit applicants possess the requisite 
immigration status to be eligible for the unemployment compensation 
administered by MA-DUA.
    Categories of Individuals: The individuals about whom DHS-USCIS 
maintains information, which is contained in its Verification 
Information System (VIS) database used by the SAVE Program to verify 
immigration status, that are involved in this matching program include 
noncitizens (meaning any person as defined in Immigration and 
Nationality Act section 101(a)(3)), those naturalized, and to the 
extent those that have applied for Certificates of Citizenship, derived 
U.S. citizens, on whom DHS-USCIS has a record as an applicant, 
petitioner, sponsor, or beneficiary. The individuals about whom MA-DUA 
maintains information that is involved in this matching program include 
noncitizen Benefit Applicants for, or recipients of, UC administered by 
MA-DUA.
    Categories of Records: Data elements to be matched between MA-DUA 
records and DHS-USCIS federal immigration records include the 
following: Last Name, First Name, Middle Name, Date of Birth, 
Immigration Numbers (e.g., Alien Registration/USCIS Number, I-94 
Number, SEVIS ID Number, Certificate of Naturalization Number, 
Certificate of Citizenship Number, or Unexpired Foreign Passport 
Number), and Other Information from Immigration Documentation (for 
example, Country of Birth, Date of Entry, Employment Authorization 
Category). Additional Data elements provided to MA-DUA from DHS-USCIS 
records related to the match may include: Citizenship or Immigration 
Data (for example, immigration class of admission and/or employment 
authorization), Sponsorship Data (for example, name, address, and 
social security number of Form I-864/I-864EZ sponsors and Form I-864A 
household members, when applicable) and Case Verification Number.
    System of Records: DHS/USCIS-004 Systematic Alien Verification for 
Entitlements (SAVE) System of Records Notice, 85 FR 31798 (May 27, 
2020).

Lynn Parker Dupree,
Chief Privacy Officer, Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2021-26168 Filed 12-1-21; 8:45 am]
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