The Department of Homeland Security has announced its US-VISIT program. The ACRONYM stands for Visitor and Immigrant Status Indication Technology system and "is designed to make entering the U.S. easier for legitimate tourists, students and business travelers, while making it more difficult to enter the U.S. illegally through the implementation of biometrically authenticated documents."
Undersectretary Asa Hutchinson said that the first phase would work like this:
By January 1st of next year, if a foreign visitor flies into Dulles or JFK or LAX or another international airport or arrives at a U.S. seaport - the visitor's travel documents will be scanned. Then, once a photo and fingerprint are taken, the person will then be checked against lists of those who should be denied entry for any reason - terrorist connections, criminal violations, or past visa violations.The information requested will include immigrant and citizenship status; nationality; the country of residence; and the person's address while in the United States. Incomplete information will no longer be good enough.
In 99.9 percent of the cases, the visitor will simply be wished a good day and sent on their way. But with that small percentage of "hits," our country will be made much safer, and our immigration system will be given a foundation of integrity that has been lacking for too long.
When that visitor departs, we will verify his or her identity and capture their departure information. This tells the Department of Homeland Security if that person entered legally may have stayed illegally as the 9/11 terrorists did. Currently, there is no way to know when or even if our visitors leave - but under US VISIT, that will change.
US VISIT will not be a static system, but a dynamic one, able to track changes in immigration status and make updates and adjustments accordingly.
Hmmm, it does remind me of those old movies I used to see, where the SS was always demanding to examine someone's papers before allowing them to board a plane or a train. So, why does this not bother me? I suppose because it only involves foreigners entering and exiting the US, and that the system is primarily designed to ensure that those that enter and exit are the people whom they are claiming to be. I guess the profilers and drug sniffing dogs are less concerned by who you are than they are about what you might be trying to sneak in the country.
more: DHS Fact Sheet: US-VISIT Program
Posted by Tiger at May 20, 2003 04:43 PM | TrackBack