For two decades, the federal government has worked to obtain accurate and timely data on individuals who have overstayed their period of admission to the U.S. After 9/11, Congress passed a law to develop a biometric entry-exit system, requiring some form of biometric — fingerprints, for example, — be collected when non-U.S. citizens enter and leave the U.S. The point is to match entry and exit records and determine which individuals are complying with their period of admission, and sanction those who are not.
However, the U.S. did not build its border, air and immigration infrastructure with exit processing in mind. Airports don’t have designated exit areas for departing passengers or specific checkpoints where a passenger’s departure is recorded by an immigration officer, as many countries do.
Even so, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) piloted various biometric programs in 15 airports to try to achieve such a system. We found that the limitations of existing technology, plus the lack of infrastructure for departing passengers, would drive the cost of a biometric program to $3 billion or more, while disrupting air travel, for passengers and airlines alike.
Over the past three years, DHS has taken steps to implement affordable measures to achieve the underlying goals of the requirement. Through enhancements to our system, which matches the information on an individual’s passport at arrival and departure, DHS can now identify and target for enforcement those who have overstayed their period of admission and who represent a public safety and/or national security threat.
We take action — including revoking visas — against confirmed overstays. Moreover, we continue to move forward toward building a biometric air exit system and advancing requisite technologies, to be integrated into the system when it’s cost effective and feasible.
Ultimately, biometric exit is not the only exit system that exists. Rather than wait for a time when there is enough funding or capability, we have built and are improving a system that is effective today.
By David Heyman, assistant secretary for policy at the Homeland SecurityDepartment.
Source-usatoday.com
