United States authorities will begin collecting photographs of all foreigners and biometric data from some of them when they enter and leave the country by air, land or sea.
According to a new rule published this Monday, October 27th, by the Department of Homeland Security, the rule will come into force on December 26th, after publication in the Federal Register, and will allow US authorities to collect biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial characteristics, from foreigners at airports, land borders and seaports when leaving the United States (USA).
The Department of Homeland Security argued that “implementing an integrated biometric entry and exit system that compares alien biometric data collected upon arrival with that collected upon departure will help address national security concerns.”
Among the threats that the new system aims to combat, the North American Republican administration led by President Donald Trump highlighted terrorism, the fraudulent use of travel documents, overstaying and the existence of incorrect or incomplete information about travelers.
“The system will also allow the Department of Homeland Security to more specifically confirm the identity of foreigners seeking to enter or be admitted to the United States, as well as verify their exit from the country,” added the same source.
The directive covers all non-US citizens, including visa holders, temporary residents, seasonal workers, minors and the elderly.
The fact that this data is also collected when leaving the country “symbolizes a fundamental change in border and biometric surveillance policy”, warned the legal firm Lincoln-Goldfinch Law, based in Austin, Texas, in a statement.
“When biometric data is collected at both entry and exit, we are entering a new surveillance paradigm that requires active legal supervision. Families must know what will happen to their data, how long it will be kept and how they can clarify any mistakes”, said Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, a lawyer specializing in matters related to immigration.
The civil rights defender considered that “the Government [dos Estados Unidos] cannot treat all non-citizens the same way without evaluating each case” and called for “ensuring that the rule is applied with clear notice, constitutional safeguards and the minimum possible interference with legal travel”.
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