American authorities begin taking action this Friday photos of all the foreigners already collected on biometric data of some of them that entering and leaving the country by air, land or sea, following the entry into force of a new rule from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The rule, announced in October, allows DHS to collect identifiers — such as fingerprints or facial features — of foreigners at airports, land points and seaports when they leave the United States. Also allows facial recognition to be used in children under 14 and people over 79, two groups that were exempt until that date.
According to DHS, this system will “help address national security concerns.” Terrorism, fraudulent use of travel documents, visitor demurrage, and incorrect or incomplete traveler information were the main threats cited by the government to justify enforcement of the regulations.
“This system will also allow DHS to more concretely confirm identity of foreigners who seek to enter or be admitted to the United States and to verify their departure from the United States,” DHS said in the rule.
The measure has been criticized by civil rights activists, who question What will happen to passenger data? how long they will be kept or what will happen if there is a misunderstanding. The rule affects all non-citizens, including permanent resident card holders, temporary residents, temporary workers, minors and the elderly.
In addition to the directive that will tighten border regulations, US President Donald Trump’s government proposed on December 10 that tourists from 42 countries, including Spain, must submit their social media history for the past five years to enter the United States.
About The Author
