DHS readies plan to track foreigners flying from U.S. - washingtonpost.com

DHS readies plan to track foreigners flying from U.S. - washingtonpost.com

by Spencer S. Hsu

The Department of Homeland Security is finalizing a proposal to collect fingerprints or eye scans from all foreign travelers at U.S. airports as they leave the country, officials said, a costly screening program that airlines have opposed.
The plan, which would take effect within two years, would collect fingerprints at airport security checkpoints, departure gates or terminal kiosks, allowing the government to track when roughly 35 million foreign visitors a year leave the country and who might be overstaying their visas, DHS officials said. The department plans to send the proposal to the White House as soon as next month for review and inclusion in President Obama's next budget.


Well, security is important - I'll grant that. But if I was a potential tourist looking to visit the USA I might start looking for somewhere else to spend my vacation money. Somewhere that doesn't treat guests like criminals.

Some Kudos for a change

I do a lot of complaining about various Department of Homeland Security agencies involved in United States Immigration.  Rightly so I mostly think, but usually my complaints have to do with bureaucratic snafus and people who just don't seem to be cut out for the job life has handed them.

This week I have to say that the government has done alright by my clients and me.  The people who I have dealt with at my local USCIS and ICE offices have given me the information I requested of them (as best they could) without any trouble or attitude or passing the buck. That is not unusual locally, we have fairly small DHS offices where we all pretty much know each other and generally nothing too unexpected happens.

But even some figures more far afield have given me some positive feed back. Tony Drago our New England Chapter Chairman of the American Immigration Lawyers Association passed along my question to the Field Office Directors of USCIS asking why my clients from Nashua were being sent to Lawrence for biometrics capture instead of Manchester NH.  They said it shouldn't be happening and they will look into fixing it.

Now, it isn't fixed yet...but at least it is on the agenda...and that is a good thing. Thanks Tony and Karen Anne Haydon (and any others who may be working on straightening that out).

One more thing, I understand that the security officer detailed at the Manchester USCIS office is moving on to bigger and better things...good luck to you Jolly Roger!