Biometric Scanning Will Track Imposters at Border Checkpoints

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The US government has implemented various measures to tighten border security, track visitors, and attempt to keep visitors with potential terrorist ties from entering the US or staying there illegally. Now, Homeland Security officials are working on a plan to vastly expand the collection of biometric information at US borders in an effort to more closely track foreign visitors.

The program aims to put in place more biometric scanners, which may include iris, face, and fingerprints, at border crossings beginning in 2018 in an effort to ensure visitors do not leave the US under another person’s passport.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials told CSMonitor/Passcode that by verifying the travelers’ biometric information at border checkpoints, foreign visitors trying to overstay their visas in the US will not be able to send imposters out of the country in their place.

The proposal for additional biometric screening at borders grew out of a post-9/11 effort to collect more information on foreign travelers. Several of the hijackers who perpetrated the 9/11 terrorist attacks overstayed their visas.

Currently, US citizens’ biometric information is discarded after the verification is confirmed at the checkpoint. All data for non-US citizens is stored for 75 years after collection, including biometric information. Currently, there is no system in place for expunging data collected on a foreigner if that person later becomes a US citizen.

According to the Customs and Border Protection documents on the proposal, biometric data collected from travelers is cross-referenced with criminal, immigration, and terror-watch databases.