The Trump administration’s “Christmas present” to international travelers is new rules requiring biometric screening of all individuals entering or exiting the country.
Under new rules that went into effect on Dec. 26, all international travelers are being photographed at airport entry and departure points and have their photos matched to existing government biometric databases. The U.S. government is authorized to retain the images for up to 75 years.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has also been empowered to collect additional biometric data from international travelers, including fingerprints, iris scans and DNA samples. The federal government has further proposed requiring foreign travelers to provide five years of their social media history to gain entry into the U.S.
Biometric identification systems are already in use in many U.S. airports. However, biometric screening is optional for citizens, who can choose other forms of identification. Also, U.S. privacy laws require the government to delete biometric images of citizens within 10 hours of collection.
According to DHS, previous rules only authorized the agency to collect biometrics “from certain aliens upon departure under pilot programs at land ports and at up to 15 airports and seaports.”
“DHS is amending the regulations to remove the references to pilot programs and the port limitation,” according to the agency. “In addition, to enable U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to make the process for verifying the identity of aliens more efficient, accurate, and secure by using facial recognition technology, DHS is amending the regulations to provide that all aliens may be required to be photographed upon entry and/or departure.”
Several exemptions to biometric screening have been removed by DHS, including those for children under 14 and adults over 79. The biometric screening requirement also now applies to green card holders as well as tourists. An exemption for Canadian citizens crossing the U.S. border has also been eliminated.
Government officials said the biometrics system will help reduce crime and visa overstays, and make airport passage more efficient. Use of the technology has been broadly supported by domestic travelers in the U.S., with the caveat that privacy protections remain in place.
