𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗦 𝗨𝗦𝗕𝗣 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗢𝗡-𝗨.𝗦. 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗭𝗘𝗡𝗦

                               

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will soon require all non-U.S. citizens entering or leaving the country to provide photographs and fingerprints, a move that experts say will likely cause significant delays at the nation’s borders. TheB biometric data collection program, set to launch on December 26, will apply to travelers at airports, seaports, and land crossings along both the U.S./Mexico and U.S./Canada borders. It will include visa holders, lawful permanent residents, seasonal workers, and even children.

The new system is designed to strengthen national security and combat passport fraud and visa overstays, but researchers and immigration advocates warn that it could create longer wait times and logistical challenges for millions of commuters who cross the border daily.  The addition of photo and fingerprint checks could further slow already congested crossings, particularly in vehicle lanes, but also airports and cruise ships.

Outbound inspection areas, originally set up to prevent the illegal flow of weapons and cash into Mexico, will now also collect biometric data, potentially increasing traffic congestion for those heading south. 

The rule, published this week in the Federal Register, allows the Department of Homeland Security to collect biometric information at all official departure points, including airports and land border crossings. According to DHS, the collected photos could remain in government databases for up to 75 years.

Some travelers have already experienced early versions of the system. A Canadian psychologist said he was photographed by uniformed officers as he boarded a plane from Cleveland to Toronto earlier this month. “I was aghast. I felt ambushed,” he said, describing the incident as intrusive and unexplained.

CBP has used facial recognition technology for nearly a decade to verify the identities of international passengers arriving in the United States, but this marks the first time it will be mandatory for all departing noncitizens as well. The agency says full implementation at land borders could take place as early as next year, with seaports and airports following within the next three to five years.