According to the new travel guidelines issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the United States, all non-U.S. citizens, including immigrants residing in the U.S. and green card holders, must undergo facial recognition scanning when entering or leaving the country.
This new regulation is part of the broader efforts by the Donald Trump administration to strengthen border control and prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country.
Previously, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a subsidiary agency of DHS, had already begun using facial recognition technology at airports to verify the identities of flight passengers. However, this new policy will now mandate the use of this technology for all past travelers at U.S. entry points.
Since 2004, DHS has been collecting biometric data from specific arrivals through CBP, but a comprehensive biometric data collection system for departures has not been established until now.
According to documents from the Federal Register on October 24th, under the new regulation, CBP is expanding its existing processes to collect photos and data at land, sea, and airport borders to better monitor fraudulent travel documents and enhance security.
Upon implementation, this system will allow DHS to more efficiently verify the departure status of non-U.S. citizens and “more accurately identify overstayers and foreign nationals unlawfully present in the U.S. without permission or on parole, preventing their potential illegal reentry.”
This measure also aims to increase the difficulty for “impersonators” to steal others’ travel documents.
The new regulation will take effect on December 26, 2025.
The regulation will allow U.S. border enforcement agencies to take photos of non-citizens leaving the U.S. at any location, while also collecting other biometric data.
Furthermore, it will permit CBP officials to use facial recognition technology on children under 14 and adults over 79. Currently, these groups are exempt from biometric screening procedures.
The public can provide feedback on “specific collection processes and cost-benefit analysis of new implementation traffic patterns.” The deadline for submitting personal opinions is November 26. Please visit the provided link to submit your comments.
(Reference: FOX 13)