Recent socioeconomic and political shifts have significantly intensified immigration pressures on developed nations. As of 2024, the United States has ranked among the top 10 countries with the largest refugee-hosting globally, with more than 3 million refugees from around the world. As immigration continues to rise, so does the need for a more efficient, secure and evidence-based-refugee screening system.

Refugee screening in the United States is a complex, multi-agency process primarily led by the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security. Each agency runs separate checks across multiple databases, looking for any security flags, criminal history, or connections to terrorism. This extensive vetting process combined with the overwhelming volume of applications often leads to significant delays, leaving many asylum seekers waiting 18 to 24 months or more for a decision. At the same time, growing national security concerns continue to shape public and political discourse, especially amid fears that terrorist groups could attempt to exploit refugee pathways into the country.

Artificial intelligence is the only solution that can streamline the refugee screening process while simultaneously mitigating security risks. AI is already bringing efficiencies to vast sectors of the world's economy including finance, insurance and healthcare. But when it comes to national security, much of the conversation has revolved around potential downsides such as algorithmic bias and error-prone facial recognition technologies.

While these are real issues that must be addressed, the truth is that AI has the potential to make national security processes much more efficient and our citizens safer. It is an ideal tool to address a mass deluge of data in the form of mobile forensics, open-source intelligence, and proprietary government databases that must be evaluated and cross-referenced for indicators of threat.

Analysis of data such as, immigration documentation, biometrics, video surveillance, social media posts and data from messaging platforms typically requires a significant time investment by police. AI is the only technology that can be used to quickly distill this vast ocean of disparate data points into a foundation of fact that can serve as the basis for a more accurate and trusted approach to refugee screening. AI makes it possible to put evidence in the form of an understandable story line that illustrates the tangible threat for security officials driving timely decision making before the refugees are released into the interior of the United States. 

​​My seat happens to offer a pretty interesting vantage point on this topic. I started my career tracking cyber attackers at the National Security Agency right before the September 11th terrorist attacks, and ended up as the Technical Director of Counterterrorism at the agency about 15 years later. I saw first-hand how the best intelligence technologies could be used to piece together complex evidence in near real-time, including the capture of Osama bin Laden. Now I recognize that terrorists are hiding in plain sight. Gaining entry as refugees and making weapons out of cars to attack the citizens that welcomed them.

To combat this type of problem, I started Tranquility AI with my co-founder Dave Harvilicz to put amazing new technologies to work in the law enforcement world. Our flagship product, TimePilot, leverages advanced AI technology to streamline investigative workflows. TimePilot consolidates complex evidence into one platform, processing vast data sources such as video surveillance, social media, financial records and cell phone forensics. We have since expanded TimePilot to support government agencies in tackling national security challenges, such as border security, cyber threats, and the proactive identification of extremists before potential attacks occur.

One of TimePilot’s key features is the ability to automate threat assessments and security evaluations. TimePilot can detect fraudulent asylum applications, spot evidence of violent behavior, identify links to extremist networks, and highlight radicalization activities—flagging potential threats for security officials before it's too late. That way individuals with dangerous affiliations are identified before they are ever granted asylum and have the opportunity to attack whether it be with a knife, gun, or a vehicle ramming incident. 

Today, immigration officials face the daunting task of manually sifting through vast amounts of paperwork and fragmented digital records. With TimePilot, agencies of any size can generate comprehensive threat assessments in a structured, easily digestible format. Its advanced natural language processing capabilities, which support over 120 languages and dialects allow officials to surface critical insights in seconds (regardless of the native language of the refugee and the raw data being analyzed).

Beyond streamlining refugee screening, TimePilot also advances cross-border intelligence collaboration. By integrating with existing databases, it allows authorities to verify refugee claims against global records, uncover suspicious travel patterns, and cross-check applicants against international watchlists. This intelligence-driven approach minimizes security gaps and equips U.S. police with tangible evidence to disrupt terrorists and their plans to attack.

At a time when migration policies face increasing scrutiny, adopting AI-driven technologies like TimePilot will be essential in building a fair, efficient, and secure asylum system. Moreover, the U.S. government can be empowered by AI, within the bounds of the law, to disrupt terrorists attempting to evade detection disguised as refugees seeking asylum.