IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT

BACKGROUND

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for protecting the country from transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), terrorist networks and cross-border criminal activity ranging from illegal immigration and drug smuggling to prostitution and human trafficking. ICE-Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) employees includes special agents, analysts and other support personnel in the United States and around the world.

SCOPE

Title III
Translation
Transcription
Interpretation
In over 50 languages
In all ICE field offices – both CONUS and OCONUS

CHALLENGES

To enforce a wide range of federal laws, disrupt nefarious characters and ensure the safety of American liberties, ICE agents must operate with precision in an expeditiously and continuously evolving austere environment. Success is dependent upon carefully orchestrated and synchronized 24/7 support from the entire ICE network including agents, prosecutors, and contractors.

A critical aspect to ensuring successful prosecution is the accuracy and understanding of multilingual communications through court-approved Title III Monitoring and / or intercepts (i.e., Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Street Act of 1968). While case agents performing these duties are skilled in many areas—including surveillance, building federal cases and dismantling criminal organizations—LIS assists in closing the skills gap related to foreign language and analysis, as well as cultural advisory. Criminal networks often operate under the cover of night or during off hours which requires full operational capability and immediate response times to roll tapes when and where these conversations happen at the moment court approval is received.

SOLUTION

LIS Solutions provides ICE with thousands of vetted, tested and cleared language-enabled analysts who are not only fluent in the languages being spoken, but also have a deep understanding of culture, slang and subtle communications of the suspects being monitored—essential for providing accurate and timely information.

LIS language-enabled analysts monitor both live and recorded court-authorized intercepted conversations using government-provided systems. Our personnel are trained and experienced to assist the overall intelligence analysis during Title III monitoring wiretaps, pointing out key details related to criminal activity the agency is targeting. LIS Solutions’ analysts are made available, in shifts—24 hours a day, seven days a week—for investigations that sometimes take months, if not years, to complete.

Once enough evidence is gathered to make an arrest, ICE hands the recordings to federal prosecutors who require the contents translated for trial. LIS Solutions supports federal cases by providing transcriptions and translations of thousands of hours of conversations in over 50 languages. Our translated materials are used as evidence to help put the guilty behind bars and dismantle criminal operations.

KEY STATS

1,500

LANGUAGE-TESTED AND ICE-CLEARED PROFESSIONAL LINGUISTS

50+

LANGUAGES

665 LIVE

INTERCEPTS

100%

TRANSLATION ACCURACY

5,000

AUDIO AND VIDEO HOURS TRANSCRIBED

20 STATES

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and especially your colleagues that supported our recent operation. LIS Management was excellent in all regards. I was only permanently located at the wire room for the first week, and afterwards only periodically, however, I can say without a doubt, that our case could not have proceeded without their support. I was reminded on almost a daily basis from my case agents, of the quality of their work. Their understanding of not only the language, but the subtle nuances involved, were invaluable. I found everyone to be professional, prompt and patient. I can speak for our case agents, that it was a pleasure working with them, and I would actively seek future opportunities to do the same.

— Robert J. Cooke, Supervisory Special Agent
Homeland Security Investigations