Facial Recognition for National Security and Transnational Criminal Organizations

Overview

Development stage

PilotSource: b) Pilot – The use case has been deployed in a limited test or pilot capacity.

High-impact designation

Presumed high-impact, determined notSource: b) Presumed high-impact, but determined not high impact

Impact justification

The AI utilizes publicly available images and performs a comparative search against other open-source images to identify potential matches. Results produced by the AI can only be utilized for investigative leads and cannot be utilized as a determining factor for any enforcement action by CBP personnel. Therefore, in instances where the AI outputs assist in identifying leads, CBP personnel must then use internal CBP or USG data prior to making any law enforcement decisions or actions. The outputs of the AI do not serve as the principal basis for a high-impact decision or action.

Start date

2025-10-09 (day precision)Source: 2025-10-09T00:00:00

Withheld from public reporting

Not reported

Mission

Topic area

Law Enforcement

Operational functions

Biometrics and identity Derived by keyword rules; see methodology

Problem the AI is intended to solve

USBP works to address challenges in identifying individuals who may be associated with national security concerns or transnational criminal organizations, especially in situations where traditional identification methods are unavailable or insufficient. To support this effort, USBP utilizes facial recognition technology to generate investigative leads by providing visually similar photos of unidentified individuals. These leads serve as a starting point for analysts to conduct further investigation. No enforcement action is taken based solely on the leads generated by this tool. All potential identifications undergo thorough investigation and validation to ensure accuracy and compliance with established standards. This approach reflects USBP's commitment to responsibly leveraging technology to enhance national security and combat transnational criminal activities.

Expected benefits

The intended purpose of this facial recognition technology is to assist USBP agents in addressing the challenges of identifying individuals who may be linked to national security threats or transnational criminal organizations. This capability enhances USBP's ability to develop investigative leads in cases where traditional identification methods are unavailable or insufficient. The benefits include improved efficiency in generating leads, enhanced support for national security and criminal investigations, and the ability to address complex threats more effectively.

System outputs

The tool generates visually similar photos of individuals, which serve as preliminary leads for analysts to initiate further investigation. These outputs are not definitive identifications but are intended to assist in narrowing investigative focus. No enforcement action is permitted based solely on these leads. Every potential identification must undergo comprehensive investigation and validation by analysts to ensure accuracy and adherence to established investigative protocols. This process ensures the responsible and ethical use of the technology.

Technology

AI classification

Computer visionSource: Computer Vision: AI that processes and interprets visual data (e.g., images and videos).

System name(s)

Traveler Verification System

Custom-developed code

Yes

Public source code

Not reported

Sourcing

How it was built

Purchased from vendorSource: a) Purchased from a vendor

Vendor (as reported)

Clearview AI

Vendors (standardized)

CAClearview AI

A vendor is the supplier named by the agency. It does not identify the underlying model or AI technology.

Data and privacy

Involves PII

Yes

Privacy Impact Assessment

www.dhs.gov ↗

Authorization to Operate

Yes

Demographic features

Not reported

Training and evaluation data

The outputs of the AI are a "percentage match" which if above a threshold returns additional metadata from the registered person in the gallery. The AI was "tuned" by adjusting the threshold over months of testing to ensure matches that did not misidentify persons while still ensuring that various templates and pictures still returned a "real world" positive match.

Federal Data Catalog

Not reported

Governance

0 of 8 minimum-practice questions answered. A blank answer means the agency reported nothing; it does not mean the practice is absent.

Potential impacts and how they were identified

Not reported