Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Tuesday unveiled a new framework for sharing “sensitive but unclassified” information to detect national security threats.
“Sensitive but classified” refers to information that is sufficiently sensitive to warrant some level of protection but not classification. Two new Program Management Offices will coordinate information-sharing among federal, state, local and tribal agencies and the private sector, the Justice Department said.
From the department/DHS news release:
The new PMOs will work jointly to provide sustained funding and personnel support to 72 state and local Fusion Centers nationwide and provide training and resources to frontline law enforcement officials to better document activities possibly linked to terrorism through NSI, a DHS-DOJ collaboration designed to detect, analyze and share intelligence about suspicious behavior and other indicators while protecting privacy and civil liberties.
The offices grew from work by the Presidential Interagency Task Force on Controlled Unclassified Information, which is led by Holder and Napolitano. In a report, the task force also recommended standardizing the way such information is handled with one set of markings. There are currently more than 100 different markings for sensitive but classified information.
The task force consulted civil liberties and open-government groups. Advocates have raised concerns about the federal government stockpiling information about Americans and using the sensitive-but-classified designation to withhold records without justification.
Everyone must be warned before coming to the United States. Even if you have a visa, you are putting yourself at risk of Homeland Security ICE officers. I have a friend that is from Paris France here on an education visa to finish his degree. He has been here since 2005. His visa is valid until March of 2010, His passport is valid until 2014, and his I-20 is current. He is not illegal. In 2008 He fell in love and married a U.S. citizen that just happens to be addicted to Prescription medications, He knew nothing about this. But he was arrested due to her mistakes. He was placed in detention, scheduled for deportation. He has been in detention center in Pompano Beach Florida for 5 months now. All this because of her mistakes. She should be the one in jail not him. Please everyone coming to America. Think twice. This couple has lost all there savings on lawyers, she lost her job, and they are in the process of losing there home. All this was caused because ICE has the wrong person in jail. They make up any story they want and when they are questioned about it you get nowhere. I have written many letters to Janet Napolitano, Senator Bill Nelson, and even President Obama. But no one will listen to the truth. So please people think twice about coming to America for any reason. Our immigration system is broken ….they all agree, but you put your life at risk when you enter our borders. Even if you follow the rules you may also lose everything as this couple has. No one will listen, no one cares. This man has never even had a traffic violation and is 51 yrs old. He has never worked in America has always been self supporting and took nothing from Americans social services. His American dream has turned into a night mare. Shame on America.