Illegal Aliens - National Security Entry-exitregistration System

Exactly one year after the terrorist attacks it was intended to prevent, the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) was launched. It consisted of three components: point-of-entry registration, special registration, and exit/departure controls. Special registration established a national registry for temporary foreign visitors (nonimmigrant aliens) coming from twenty-five designated countries and others who met a combination of intelligence-based criteria that identified them as potential security risks.

One by one, immigration-related security deficiencies were being addressed by NSEERS. For example, as of January 2003 all commercial carriers were required to submit detailed passenger lists electronically before an aircraft or vessel arrived in or departed from the United States.

In December 2003 certain provisions in NSEERS were suspended, including the need to reregister each year, a process commonly known as "domestic registration." Certain provisions of NSEERS remained in place, however, including the requirement for foreign nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and the Sudan to go through special registration at ports of entry and to report to immigration officials before leaving the country. Foreign nationals from all other countries were registered if Customs and Border Protection Officers deemed it necessary based on initial questioning upon arrival. By January 2005, individuals from more than 160 countries had been registered in the NSEERS program. The registry provides detailed information about the background and purpose of an individual's visit to the United States as well as departure confirmation.