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U.S. to Fingerprint Most Foreign Visitors
News.Lycos.com ^

Posted on 05/19/2003 10:27:52 AM PDT by Sweet_Sunflower29

Foreign visitors arriving at U.S. airports or seaports beginning Jan. 1, 2004, will have their travel documents scanned, fingerprints and photos taken and identification checked against terrorist watchlists.

Homeland Security undersecretary Asa Hutchinson released details Monday of the department's new U.S. Visitor and Immigration Status Indication Technology, or U.S. VISIT, that will check the comings and goings of certain foreign travelers.

The checks will apply to people who arrive in this country carrying visas, which last year was about 60 percent or 23 million of the foreign visitors, said Hutchinson, who oversees Border and Transportation Security.

"In 99.9 percent of the cases, the visitor will simply be wished a good day or sent on their way," Hutchinson said in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank. "But with that small percentage of hits, our country will be made much safer and our immigration system will be given a foundation of integrity that has been lacking for too long."

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge had announced U.S. VISIT earlier this month.

Hutchinson said when the visitor leaves, the person's departure will be verified with the U.S. VISIT system.

Also as part of the program, Hutchinson said the department has created an Office of Compliance that will analyze all the information collected from visitors and refer any requiring follow up to investigators.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: airports; asahutchinson; biometrics; fingerprints; homelandsecurity; seaports; tomridge; usvisit; visitors
The checks will apply to....about 60 percent or 23 million of the foreign visitors

No mention of the plans for the other 40% yet?

1 posted on 05/19/2003 10:27:53 AM PDT by Sweet_Sunflower29
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To: Sweet_Sunflower29
Just "most"? What, we got an ink shortage or what?
2 posted on 05/19/2003 10:33:36 AM PDT by RetiredArmy (We'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American Way! Toby Keith)
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To: Sweet_Sunflower29
Foreign visitors arriving at U.S. airports or seaports

Airports and seaports. Does that mean the border patrol is gonna start fingerprinting at the comfort stations for "undocumenteds" along the Southern border?

Oh, [slapping head], silly me, of course not. If they fingerprint the "undocumenteds" then they will no longer be "undocumented." So they are probably exempt. That's good for Fernando [or Achmed] coming across the border.
3 posted on 05/19/2003 10:35:53 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: Sweet_Sunflower29
Foreign visitors arriving at U.S. airports or seaports beginning Jan. 1, 2004, will have their travel documents scanned, fingerprints and photos taken and identification checked against terrorist watchlists.

FBI already has mine....but apparently they don't share with the INS...they may have changed that since the DoHS shuffle

4 posted on 05/19/2003 10:37:47 AM PDT by MD_Willington_1976
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To: Sweet_Sunflower29
"beginning Jan. 1, 2004"

Bullpucky, do it immediately.

5 posted on 05/19/2003 10:38:31 AM PDT by AGreatPer
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To: Sweet_Sunflower29
Of course, the other countries will reciprocate.
6 posted on 05/19/2003 10:42:56 AM PDT by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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To: Sweet_Sunflower29
They're from Canada.
7 posted on 05/19/2003 10:43:58 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Sweet_Sunflower29
"Visitors" can easily avoid this hassle by simply walking across border either from Canada or Mexico.
8 posted on 05/19/2003 10:44:22 AM PDT by Rudder
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
Al Qanada.
9 posted on 05/19/2003 10:49:02 AM PDT by sheik yerbouty
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To: madfly
ping
10 posted on 05/19/2003 11:10:24 AM PDT by Libertarianize the GOP (Ideas have consequences)
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