The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Sept. 14, 2009, that classified military intelligence will be made available to state and local fusion centers, which function as information sharing hubs between DHS and state, tribal and local officials. Critics are concerned that the addition of Department of Defense (DoD) intelligence without proper oversight will threaten the privacy and civil liberties of U.S. citizens. The record of fusion centers to date indicates such concerns are justified.

According to DHS, certain fusion center personnel with a security clearance will be able to access information stored in the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet). This classified database houses sensitive information collected by DoD and Department of State officials. The DHS believes the sharing of classified military intelligence will enable state and local law enforcement agencies to better “prevent, detect, deter, and respond to terrorist attacks.”

There are over 70 fusion centers currently operating across the United States, making them an increasingly important national security program. However, there are serious questions about their authority, funding and data storage practices. These concerns, combined with the release of several unclassified fusion center reports have drawn widespread criticism from lawmakers and civil liberty advocates. Referring to the report issued from a Dallas area fusion center that warned of tolerance, Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said in April 2009, “If we don’t get the privacy and civil liberties piece at fusion centers right, we’ll see more abuses like those revealed last summer in Texas.”  Agreeing with that sentiment, Michael Macleod-Ball, Acting Director of the ACLU , said, “As fusion centers gain more and more access to Americans’ private information, the information about them being made available to the American public remains woefully inadequate.”

Additionally, the mission and effectiveness of fusion centers have also been questioned. In 2007, a Congressional Research Services report found that fusion centers “are struggling to produce useful information as a result of tangled technology and unclear missions.”

Macleod-Ball is calling for further Congressional oversight on fusion centers operations. He said, “Congress must take the necessary steps to ensure that a thorough and rigorous oversight mechanism is in place to ensure that Americans’ most sensitive information is protected. Without proper guidelines, fusion centers will continue to threaten our privacy while doing nothing to improve security.”