GovernmentExecutive.com

Faced with mounting congressional pressure, the Homeland Security Department on Monday announced procedures to verify when foreigners leave the United States at airports.

But the department still does not have a timetable to verify when foreigners leave the country through Canada or Mexico, even though doing so is required by law, according to a plan submitted to lawmakers and obtained by Technology Daily.

Foreigners will have to verify their identities with air carriers before boarding airplanes to leave the country, the department said. The identity of each person will be verified through the US-VISIT program using biometrics, which could be a fingerprint scan.

Homeland Security will issue a regulation detailing how the exit system will work. It is part of the department's effort to comply with a 2004 law requiring the US-VISIT program to use biometrics to verify when foreigners leave the country.

Lawmakers increasingly have voiced concerns that the department has unnecessarily delayed implementing a biometric exit system. Indeed, the first bill passed by the new Democratic majority in the House in January would require the department to submit a plan for verifying when foreigners leave the country.

Homeland Security "has determined that US-VISIT air-exit procedures should be incorporated into the existing international visitor-departure process to minimize the effect on visitors and to ensure seamless biometric collection regardless of the visitor's departure point," the department said.

The department, Congress and the commission that investigated the 2001 terrorism attacks "have consistently recognized biometric exit control as a priority in order to fully secure our nation's borders."

The department also will begin work this year on a biometric exit system for seaports.

In total, the department plans to spend about $27 million in fiscal 2007 on the air and sea exit systems, according to an expenditure plan for US-VISIT obtained by Tech Daily. The administration is also weighing strategies to help air carriers meet the new requirements, such as financial and technical assistance and possible grants for technology.

"US-VISIT will also consider issuing a request for information for additional scanning devices that would combine the collection of biometrics with a full-page passport scanner," the plan added. "These options will be refined as [the department] works with air carriers in assessing the costs of both initial deployment and continued operations and maintenance, as well as deploying air exit at pilot locations."

Homeland Security noted, however, that it does not yet have a system for using biometrics to verify when foreigners leave the country by land, even though doing so also is required by law.

"Because of the immense scope and complexity of the land border, biometric exit information cannot be practically based on biometric validation in the short term," the expenditure plan said. "Instead, [the department] will initially seek to match records using biographic information in instances where no current collection exists today."

Homeland Security has not determined a timeframe or cost estimates for initiation of land exits. Lawmakers could not be immediately reached for comment for this story.

COMMENTS

• The smart wallet as NIST calls it in its Biometrics and Security Systems and Applications Program could have been released as a visa and checked-out these travelers as they leave the country in a split second with 100 % accuracy. However, the Bush Administration and US Congress just spent the last 5 1/2 years deporting smart wallet technology into Kremlin control. Both political parties starting with the Republicans in 1/02, cut a deal with the Kremlin that in exchange for lucrative campaign contributions, the Kremlin could have Immtec, Inc.--inventor of the smart wallet. Immtec management always has had the wisdom to know its platform doesn't belong in the control of a non-Democracy because of the immense invasion of privacy that could result if excessive data mining programs are linked to our platform. Any credential linked to data mining programs can become a civil rights/privacy disaster! Unfortunately, both the RNC and Dems have made it conditional that we adhere to deportation or at least sell Russia our source code. If we don't, all US programs will continue to omit Immtec's technology which costs a fraction of what the DHS has been spending on inferior biometric technologies. Bennie Thompson's office made it about 1 1/2 minutes on the phone with me just days ago on the subject of the Maritime ID, before I was hung-up on. Hence...I will instead spill the truth publicly in comment areas such as this! Hanging up on me...being rude, just makes me that much more determined to make Americans aware that since 1999 when Immtec was founded, they've had another solution available to them that costs a far lot less money to implement, is far more respectful of privacy and really will protect the US without interfering with processes such as quickly passing travelers through immigration check-out points. Dawn Dippell Posted May 11, 2007 1:13 PM
• Totally agree with Robert and the Snr Inspector (retd). 1) We really do NEED an effective ID system here. The REAL ID act is flawed and the document being propoosed will NOT work even if it uses multimodal biometric fusion. Howver assuming one has done the necessary research plus a lot of testing and CAN supply a system which works then the DHS seems to be unable to deal with anything less than a major US Corporation - which kills what they are looking for (good reliable technology at a competitive price delivered on time - and preferably with a revenue generation system built in) stone dead. 2) There are ways of getting the majority of "illegals" to come forward and use a "work permit" system. One does however need to be thinking "outside the box" and way outside the thinking processes of the conglomerates being considered and/or used. 3) what is the use of wasting a reputed $50 Bn on a "ray gun" that does not kill its target please - when we have pressing security problems IN OUR COUNTRY - which is where the war will likely move next? WAKE UP AMERICA indeed! Roger Posted May 10, 2007 2:05 PM
• I totally agree with Robert M.'s comments, and would simply add that we are wasting time checking people in and out at the front door, while over 12 million illegal infiltrators live here, including up to a million known criminals! Wake up America, 'cause we're still losing. US Customs Senior Inspector (Retired) Posted May 10, 2007 9:00 AM