The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday, October 24th, that it will expand the use of facial recognition technology to track non-citizens entering and exiting the country. This move is aimed at combating issues related to national security, such as visa overstays and passport fraud.
The new regulations will allow border enforcement agencies to request non-U.S. citizens to have their photos taken at airports, seaports, land ports of entry, and other departure locations, expanding on a previous pilot program.
DHS will officially publish the regulation in the Federal Register on October 27th, initiating a 30-day period for public comments. The new regulations will take effect on December 26th.
In addition to photos, U.S. authorities may also require non-citizens to provide other biometric information, such as fingerprints or DNA.
The regulations also permit border authorities to utilize facial recognition technology for children under 14 and individuals over 79, groups that were previously exempt from such requirements.
The stricter border regulations reflect broader efforts by U.S. President Trump to combat illegal immigration. The Republican president has increased resources to ensure border security along the U.S.-Mexico border while taking measures to reduce the number of visa overstays.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has already implemented facial recognition technology for all commercial air travel arrivals, with plans to fully implement biometric exit systems at all commercial airports and seaports within the next three to five years.
DHS states that comprehensive collection of entry and exit data for non-citizens will help address national security issues, including combating terrorism threats, travel document fraud, visa overstays, and unauthorized stays in the U.S.
Since 2004, CBP has been collecting biometric data for certain non-citizens arriving in the U.S., but the latest regulations signify a significant expansion of this data collection effort. CBP notes that advancements in facial recognition technology allow for broader border inspections. These tools will verify passenger identities using passenger information and photos provided in passports or visa applications.
According to estimates by the American Civil Liberties Union in 2023, approximately 42% of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. at the time had overstayed their visas.
(Information sourced from Reuters and Bloomberg.)