What agency primarily focuses on the identification of individuals using their fingerprints?

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the agency that primarily focuses on the identification of individuals using their fingerprints. The FBI maintains the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), which is a national database containing fingerprints and criminal histories. This database is used for various purposes, including background checks, criminal investigations, and the identification of unknown individuals. The FBI's expertise in fingerprint analysis and identification makes it the primary authority in this field, ensuring that law enforcement agencies across the country can effectively share and access fingerprint data.

While other agencies may engage in fingerprinting for specific purposes—such as the Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI), which works on state levels, or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which may utilize biometric information for immigration and security-related assessments—the FBI's role in providing comprehensive national fingerprint identification services is unparalleled.