CBP’s  predeparture programs use the results of NTC’s efforts to identify and  interdict high-risk individuals destined for the United States while they are  still overseas. Specifically, CBP operates three air predeparture programs  that are responsible for all U.S.-bound air travelers—Preclearance; the  Immigration Advisory Program (IAP) and Joint Security Program (JSP);  and the regional carrier liaison groups (RCLG). As of  April 2016, CBP operates 15 air Preclearance locations in six countries. According to CBP  officials, under this program, unarmed, plain clothes CBP officers posted  at foreign airports partner with air carriers and host country government  officials to help prevent terrorists and other high-risk individuals from  boarding U.S.-bound flights by vetting and interviewing them before  travel. RCLGs are located and  operate at domestic airports. CBP Analyzes Traveler Data and Threat Information to Identify High-Risk Travelers before They Board U.S.-Bound Flights

		CBP Has Processes in Place to Identify High-Risk Travelers before They Board U.S.-Bound Flights

CBP electronically vets all travelers before they board U.S.-bound flights  and continues to do so until they land at a U.S. port of entry. According to NTC officials responsible for the  rules-based targeting program, unknown high-risk travelers pose the  greatest threat to the United States because their information is not  contained in lists of known high-risk individuals and are therefore more  difficult to detect. Additionally, NTC coordinates its traveler data matching and rules-based  targeting for international air travelers with TSA’s Secure Flight  Program. CBP’s Air Predeparture Programs Interdict High-Risk Air Travelers, but CBP Has Not Fully Assessed the Programs’ Performance

		CBP Identifies and Interdicts High-Risk Travelers before They Board U.S.-Bound Flights

Through its predeparture programs—Preclearance, IAP and JSP, and  RCLGs—CBP identifies and interdicts high-risk travelers before they  board U.S.-bound flights. Specifically, CBP data indicate that CBP’s  predeparture programs identified and ultimately interdicted approximately  22,000 high-risk air travelers in fiscal year 2015. In fiscal year 2015, CBP officers at Preclearance locations  determined that 10,648 air travelers were inadmissible out of the  approximately 16 million air travelers seeking admission to the United  States through a Preclearance location (see fig. CBP officers at IAP and JSP locations made 3,925 no- board recommendations in fiscal year 2015 for the approximately 29  million air travelers bound for the United States from such locations (see  fig. RCLG. According to senior CBP officials, some of the results of CBP’s  predeparture programs are not easily measured. Developing and implementing a  system of performance measures and baselines for each program would  help ensure that these programs are achieving their intended goals. CBP Plans to Expand its Predeparture Programs, but Several Factors Limit Its Ability to Expand to All Priority Locations CBP Aims to Expand Its Predeparture Programs to Additional Overseas Locations

CBP has plans underway to expand its predeparture programs,  particularly Preclearance operations. In May 2015, DHS  announced plans to enter into formal negotiations to expand  Preclearance to 10 airports in 9 countries. However, CBP did not select these two  locations solely based on their score among the 10 priority locations that  CBP selected for potential expansion. Although CBP  prefers that the airport authority pay the majority of Preclearance costs,  CBP officials stated that its expansion decisions are not solely driven by  the costs CBP would have to incur to set up and maintain a Preclearance  location. By developing and  implementing a system of performance measures and baselines to  evaluate the effectiveness of its predeparture programs, CBP will be  better positioned to measure predeparture program performance and to  determine what these data indicate about whether the programs are  achieving their stated goals. Recommendation for Executive Action

To better ensure the effectiveness of CBP’s predeparture programs, we  recommend that the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border  Protection develop and implement a system of performance measures  and baselines to evaluate the effectiveness of CBP’s predeparture  programs and assess whether the programs are achieving their stated  goals.
Why GAO Did This Study

DHS seeks to identify and interdict international air travelers who are potential security threats to the United States, such as foreign fighters and potential terrorists, human traffickers, and otherwise inadmissible persons, at the earliest possible point in time. In fiscal year 2015, CBP processed more than 104 million U.S.-bound air travelers. CBP operates various predeparture programs domestically and overseas that are designed to identify and interdict high-risk travelers before they board U.S.-bound flights.
GAO was asked to review CBP's predeparture programs. This report addresses (1) how CBP identifies high-risk travelers before they board U.S.-bound flights; (2) the results of CBP's predeparture programs and the extent to which CBP has measures to assess program performance; and (3) how CBP plans to expand its predeparture programs. GAO reviewed CBP policies and procedures and fiscal year 2015 data across these programs. GAO also visited nine foreign and one domestic airport, selected based on location and traveler volume, among other factors. Information from these visits was not generalizable but provided valuable insights into program operations.

What GAO Found

The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) analyzes traveler data and threat information to identify high-risk travelers before they board U.S.-bound flights. CBP's National Targeting Center (NTC), the primary entity responsible for these analyses, conducts traveler data matching which assesses whether travelers are high-risk by matching their information against U.S. government databases and lists, and rules-based targeting, which enables CBP to identify unknown high-risk individuals. CBP operates multiple predeparture programs that use the results of NTC's analyses to help identify and interdict high-risk travelers before they board U.S.-bound flights. CBP officers inspect all U.S. bound travelers on precleared flights at the 15 Preclearance locations and, if deemed inadmissible, a traveler will not be permitted to board the aircraft. CBP also operates nine Immigration Advisory Program (IAP) and two Joint Security Program (JSP) locations as well as three Regional Carrier Liaison Groups (RCLG) that allow CBP to work with foreign government and air carrier officials to identify and interdict high-risk travelers. Through these programs, CBP may recommend that air carriers not permit such travelers to board U.S.-bound flights.
CBP data show that it identified and interdicted over 22,000 high-risk air travelers in fiscal year 2015 through its predeparture programs. CBP officers at Preclearance locations determined that 10,648 of the approximately 16 million air travelers seeking admission to the United States through such locations were inadmissible. Similarly, CBP, through its IAP, JSP, and RCLG locations, made 11,589 no-board recommendations to air carriers for the approximately 88 million air travelers bound for the United States from such locations. While CBP's predeparture programs have helped identify and interdict high-risk travelers, CBP has not fully evaluated the overall effectiveness of these programs using performance measures and baselines. CBP tracks some data, such as the number of travelers deemed inadmissible, but has not set baselines to determine if predeparture programs are achieving goals, consistent with best practices for performance measurement. By developing and implementing a system of performance measures and baselines, CBP would be better positioned to assess if the programs are achieving their goals.
CBP plans to expand its predeparture programs where possible, though several factors limit its ability to expand to all priority locations. In May 2015—after soliciting interest among foreign airport authorities and scoring interested airports using risk and other factors—CBP stated it would begin Preclearance expansion negotiations with 10 priority airports in 9 countries. As of November 2016, CBP had not completed the process required to begin operations in any locations prioritized for expansion, but had reached agreement with one location at which Preclearance operations could begin as early as 2019. According to senior CBP officials, Preclearance expansions are lengthy and complex processes because host governments and airports must be willing to allow for a Preclearance location, and CBP's Preclearance expansion strategy relies on partnering with airports that are willing to pay for the majority of operational costs.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that CBP develop and implement a system of performance measures and baselines to evaluate the effectiveness of its predeparture programs and assess whether the programs are achieving their stated goals. CBP concurred with the recommendation and identified planned actions to address the recommendation.