Nicaragua Becomes Partner in ICE's eTD System

On April 10, 2018, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) published a news release titled “Nicaragua becomes the latest partner in ICE's eTD system” [PDF version]. The news release states that “[r]epresentatives of ICE and the government of Nicaragua recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which establishes the Nicaraguan government as a participating partner in ICE/ERO's Travel Document (eTD) system.”

The news release explains that the eTD system is intended to streamline the process of determining citizenship and obtaining travel documents for individuals subject to immigration detention in the United States. It electronically provides “biographic and biometric information used to determine citizenship and/or nationality for individuals.” Furthermore, consular officials may review and edit travel documents through use of the eTD system. Partners in the eTD system “are asked to confirm the citizenship of aliens suspected to be their nationals through interview and the review of records and documents.” Where an alien is determined to be the national of the partners in the eTD system, that country is “expected to issue travel documents in a timely manner and accept the physical return of [its] nationals.” The news release states that Nicaragua is one of the first countries to become partners in the eTD system.

The eTD system promises to expedite the process of identifying the identity and nationality of individuals in immigration detention. ICE stated that by joining, Nicaragua showed its commitment to “meeting its international obligation to accept the return of [its] nationals ordered removed from the U.S.”

An individual who is in immigration detention and facing removal should consult with an experienced immigration attorney immediately for a full assessment of his or her immigration situation.