DHS official: Airlines best suited to run fingerprint program

The Homeland Security Department's policy chief Thursday cautioned the nation's airlines not to push to have the federal government take fingerprints of foreigners leaving from the nation's airports, saying shifting the responsibility to the public sector would likely lead to flight disruptions.

The department is locked in a major policy dispute with the airlines over who should verify when foreigners leave the country.

The department proposed a rule last month that would require the airlines to take fingerprints of foreigners before they board their flights.

The airlines have argued that implementing such a system would cost them billions of dollars, while running it nationwide is inherently a task that should be done by federal authorities.

Stewart Baker, assistant Homeland Security secretary for policy, said the airlines should think again about wanting the federal government to be responsible for taking fingerprints.

"I think that would be worse for industry and I'm hoping when they think about this they will conclude that . . . somebody's got to do it and the least expensive way to do is to have the airlines do it," Baker said in a speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

Homeland Security officials have said they believe the airlines will do a more efficient job collecting fingerprints. They have argued that requiring fingerprint collection at federal airport checkpoints would be cumbersome and disruptive.

The rule does not specify where airlines would have to do the collection, meaning they could build a process into their operations in any way that works best for them. The department is accepting public comment on the proposed rule, which is expected to go into effect in January.

Baker announced that the department is working to develop a system to expedite the processing of U.S. citizens and foreigners as they enter the country at airports. Dubbed "Global Entry," travelers who voluntarily give the government fingerprint scans and personal information will be able to enter the country at airports through kiosks instead of having to waiting in line to have their passports inspected by Customs officers.

A traveler would have his or her fingerprints scanned by a kiosk to verify his or her identity. Baker said Homeland Security plans to begin accepting applications this month from U.S. citizens. He said the program will first go into operation at Dulles International Airport and New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport, but he did not provide a starting date. He said the U.S. government eventually plans to let foreigners enroll in the program.