President Barack Obama is delivering a parting shot to his successor, ending a national registry that keep track of people who come to the United States from countries with active terrorist groups.
The registry began after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks but has not been used since 2011. As The New York Times notes, however, Obama's decision to erase it from the books shows he does not support President-elect Donald Trump's plans to keep better track of people, particularly Muslims, visiting the U.S. from countries where terrorism breeds.
The registry is called the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS).
"DHS ceased use of NSEERS more than five years ago, after it was determined the program was redundant, inefficient and provided no increase in security," Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Neema Hakim said in a statement, reports the Times.
Hakim called the program "obsolete" and "outdated."
A National Archives and Records Administration document spells out the Obama administration's intention to get rid of the program before Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is removing outdated regulations relating to an obsolete special registration program for certain non-immigrants," the document reads. "DHS ceased use of the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) program in 2011 after finding that the program was redundant, captured data manually that was already captured through automated systems, and no longer provided an increase in security in light of DHS's evolving assessment of the threat posed to the United States by international terrorism."
Trump said on the campaign trail last year he would be in favor of having a database of Muslims who enter the U.S., an idea he later retracted.
Still, he has made national security one of his priorities and promised to take steps that will keep Americans safe.
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