DHS requires foreigners, including green card holders, to be photographed at all borders
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The Department of Homeland Security has issued new guidance requiring foreign nationals, including green card holders and other non-U.S. citizens living legally in the country, to be photographed when entering or leaving the United States.
CBP currently uses facial recognition at airport checkpoints, but the updated rule will expand its use to all U.S. entry and exit points by air, land and sea.
The change would expand CBP’s biometric screening program to include more comprehensive image and data collection aimed at tightening verification procedures and preventing document fraud.
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The Department of Homeland Security has issued new travel guidance requiring foreigners to be photographed when entering or leaving the country. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“This final rule amends Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations to provide that DHS may require all aliens to be photographed when entering or exiting the United States and may require non-exempt aliens to provide other biometric information,” reads a summary of the new policy in the Federal Register.
“The final rule also amends regulations to remove references to pilot programs and the port limitation that allows the collection of biometric data from aliens departing from airports, land ports, seaports, or other authorized points of departure. DHS also requests comments on the specific collection process and the costs and benefits of new transportation methods.”
The rule also removes previous age exemptions, allowing facial recognition scans for passengers younger than 14 and older than 79.
CBP is expanding existing photo and data collection at airports, land and sea borders to provide greater security and additional oversight of travel documents. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images)
“Exemptions from existing regulations for biometric collection based on an individual’s age (i.e., under 14 and over 79) were based on technological limitations on collecting fingerprints from children and the elderly, as well as traditional law enforcement policies and other policies, such as not performing criminal background checks on children,” the policy said. The statement was included.
“These exemptions do not apply to CBP’s facial comparison-based biometric entry-exit program because the use of biometrics has expanded beyond criminal background checks and now plays a vital role in authenticating and managing identity and combating child trafficking.” “Additionally, internal CBP studies of biometric facial match accuracy, historical matching data, review of biometric matching for those under 14 and over 79, and CBP standard operating procedures associated with these ages, no longer support exempting facial biometric collection from these populations. Age-based exemptions will continue to apply to biometrics other than facial images.”
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The new rules are scheduled to come into force on December 26. (Getty Images)
The new rules are scheduled to come into force on December 26.
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The new rule comes as part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement agenda, which focuses on expanding border surveillance and tightening entry requirements.
