FINGERPRINTS: COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Fingerprints: Collection and Analysis

Fingerprints: Collection and Analysis

Introduction

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is transitioning from collecting two digital fingerprints to collecting 10 fingerprints from international visitors to the United States. This transition is one of the department's top priorities because it furthers DHS's ability to keep dangerous people out of the United States, while making legitimate travel more efficient. DHS plans to replace the current two-fingerprint scanners with new 10-fingerprint scanners at all U.S. ports of entry over the next year. The Department of State (DOS) is using 10-fingerprint scanners at most of its visa-issuing posts already and will complete deployment worldwide by the end of the year. (Abel, 2007) DHS will begin using new 10-fingerprint scanners to improve the security of the United States while facilitating legitimate travel and trade. The two scanners that will be used are the Cross Match Technologies L SCAN® GUARDIAN™ (left) and the IDENTIX Touch Print 4100 Enhanced Definition Device (right).

Explanation

The 10-fingerprint collection transition is being led by DHS's US-VISIT program. US-VISIT provides biometrics-based identity management services—collection, storage and analysis of biometric data—to the immigration and border management, law enforcement and intelligence communities. The most visible part of the program is the digital collection of biometrics—fingerprints and photographs—from visitors to the United States. This data is checked against information about known or suspected terrorists, immigration violators and criminals and helps facilitate legitimate travel, protect visitors against identity theft, prevent fraudulent document use, and keep our visitors and citizens safe from harm. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that it has begun collecting additional fingerprints from international visitors arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Hartsfield). The change is part of the department's upgrade from two- to 10-fingerprint collection to enhance security and facilitate legitimate travel by more accurately and efficiently establishing and verifying visitors' identities. (Abel, 2007)

“Biometrics have revolutionized our ability to prevent dangerous people from entering the United States since 2004. Our upgrade to 10 fingerprint collection builds on our success, enabling us to focus more attention on stopping potential security risks,” US VISIT Director Robert Mocny said. For more than four years, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) consular officers and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have been collecting biometrics—digital fingerprints and a photograph—from all non-U.S. citizens between the ages of 14 and 79, with some exceptions, when they apply for visas or arrive at U.S. ports of entry.

“Quite simply, this change gives our officers a more accurate idea of who is in front of them. For legitimate visitors, the process becomes more efficient and their identities are better protected from theft. For those who may pose a risk, we will have greater insight into who they are,” added Mr. Paul Morris, Executive Director of Admissibility Requirements and Migration Control, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (Abel, 2007)

The department's US-VISIT program currently checks a visitor's fingerprints against DHS records of immigration violators and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) records of criminals ...