>From: Malamin Johnson <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list              <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Airports to fingerprint foreign visitors >Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2003 19:47:21 +0000 > >Airports to fingerprint foreign visitors > >DALLAS (AP) — Foreigners entering U.S. airports and seaports — >except those >from Western Europe and a handful of other countries — will soon >have their >fingerprints scanned and their photographs snapped as part of a new >program >designed to enhance border security. >The program, to be up and running on Jan. 5 at all 115 airports that >handle >international flights and 14 major seaports, will let Customs >officials >instantly check an immigrant or visitor's criminal background. > >The program, called US-VISIT, or U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status >Indicator >Technology, will check an estimated 24 million foreigners each year, >though >some will be repeat visitors. > >The only exceptions will be visitors from 28 countries — mostly >European >nations whose citizens are allowed to come to the United States for >up to 90 >days without visas. > >Inkless fingerprints will be taken and checked instantly against a >national >digital database for criminal backgrounds and any terrorist lists. >The >process will be repeated when the foreigners leave the country as an >extra >security measure and to ensure they complied with visa limitations. > >"I think people have come to understand that an increase to security >is >necessary," said Homeland Security spokesman Bill Strassberger. > >The foreigners will be fingerprinted and photographed when they >enter the >country. > >Strassberger said once screeners become proficient, the extra >security will >take only 10 to 15 seconds per person. Foreign travelers also will >continue >to pass through regular Customs points and answer questions. > >Photographs will be used to help create a database for law >enforcement. The >travel data is supposed to be securely stored and made available >only to >authorized officials on a need-to-know basis. > >A similar program is to be installed at 50 land border crossings by >the end >of next year, Strassberger said. > >The American Civil Liberties Union, which has been critical of >several steps >the Bush administration has taken to track or question foreigners >since the >terrorist attacks, said it was reserving judgment on the new system. > >"The government hasn't explained exactly how it's going to work," >said Lee >Galernt, the ACLU's senior staff counsel. > >The Department of Homeland Security raised the nation's >terror-attack >warning to its second-highest level on Sunday, but plans to >photograph and >fingerprint foreigners were in place before that. > >Unlike airports, many crossing points have no security and no >warning of >when travelers will arrive or depart, said Dennis Nixon, president >of the >International Bank of Commerce-Laredo. > >"There has to be a process in place at the borders that can deal >consistently with the transient traveler that goes back and forth," >Nixon >said. "And there are hundreds of millions of people crossing the >border each >day, so it's a huge logistical difference." > > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >_________________________________________________________________ >Check your PC for viruses with the FREE McAfee online computer scan. >http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: >http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the >Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~