Fact Sheet: Law Enforcement Support Center

May 29, 2012

The Law Enforcement Support Center LESC) is a national enforcement operations facility administered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the largest investigative agency in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The LESC is a single, national point of contact that provides timely customs information, immigration status, identity information and real-time assistance to local, state and federal law enforcement agencies on aliens suspected, arrested or convicted of criminal activity.

Located in Williston, Vt., the LESC operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. State and local law enforcement officers seeking information about aliens encountered in the course of their daily enforcement activities are the primary users of the LESC.

The LESC also receives queries from federal, state and local correctional and court systems seeking information about individuals in custody or encountered elsewhere in the criminal justice system. Law enforcement officers have immediate access to alien records at the National Crime Information Center and approximately 100 million alien records maintained by the Department of Homeland Security by using the formatted Immigration alien query screen incorporated within each state's law enforcement communications system.

LESC Services

In addition to providing immigration and identity information on suspected criminal aliens, the LESC offers other vital services, including:

  • National Crime Information Center – The LESC administers and controls all ICE criminal and administrative records in this nationwide law enforcement consortium and criminal database. There are now more than 300,100 ICE records at the National Crime Information Center.
  • Communications Center – The LESC operates a communications center that provides the National Crime Information Center hit confirmations (within 10 minutes) to law enforcement agencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition, communications center agents and specialists place immigration detainers on aliens wanted by ICE. The communications center also provides assistance on immigration alien queries, instant immigration status checks for ERO officers and answers dedicated law enforcement phone lines.  A public affairs unit is also available to respond to media calls during normal business hours.
  • Special Response Tasks – The LESC is the central point of contact for a number of special information requests. For example, the LESC conducts “Brady checks” for the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, screening the immigration status of foreign-born, non-citizen firearm permit applicants before authorizing purchase or possession of a weapon. Since  October 2006, the LESC has performed  420,365 Brady checks for the FBI. The LESC also provides daily assistance to the U.S. Secret Service by assisting in the screening of persons seeking to visit or work on the White House grounds. The LESC has helped the Secret Service screen  325,078 individuals over the last five and a half fiscal years.
  • Law Enforcement Training – The center offers an on-site training and outreach program that provide instruction on how to access LESC information and on ICE's role and responsibilities.

Significant Accomplishments for FY 2011

  • The number of requests for information sent to the LESC increased from 4,000 in fiscal year (FY) 1996 to 1,278,219 in FY 2011, setting a new record for assistance to other law enforcement agencies.
  • During FY 2011, immigration enforcement agents and specialists at the LESC placed  21,422 detainers on foreign nationals wanted by ICE for criminal and immigration violations.
  • The records of more than  280,916 previously deported aggravated felons, immigration fugitives and wanted criminals are now in the National Crime Information Center system.
  • The immigration enforcement agents at the LESC confirmed  6,703 National Crime Information Center hits during FY 2011.

Some of the LESC accomplishments since October 2006 include:

  • Over the past five and a half fiscal years, the LESC has responded to more than 5.6 million electronic queries.
  • Since  October 2006, the LESC has received  974,874 telephone calls on its dedicated law enforcement lines from law enforcement officers around the country seeking ICE information or assistance.
  •  ICE agents assigned to the LESC have issued 109,981 immigration detainers against criminal and wanted aliens over the last five and a half fiscal years. Of those,  42,159 immigration detainers were placed on criminals or fugitives who were National Crime Information Center hits.
  • The Communications Center established the detainee hot line in December 2011, and as of March 31, 2012, center staff have processed more than 4,100 calls.