Every citizen traveling to or from the US will be photographed; this system is about to be implemented.

News Topical, Digital Desk : If you're traveling to or returning from the United States, it's important to know some rules beforehand. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced a major expansion of its biometric tracking system.

A notification states that every non-US citizen entering or leaving the US will be photographed and entered into a facial-recognition database. This rule covers airports, seaports, and land crossings. The agency says it will implement an integrated biometric entry-exit system that will compare the biometric data of aliens (i.e., foreign nationals) collected upon arrival with the biometric data collected upon departure.

Why did America take this step?

This work will be done to address national security risks, fraudulent travel documents, visa overstays, and the presence of foreign nationals without legal entry or parole. While CBP has collected biometric data from some foreign nationals upon arrival in the United States for several years, the new rule represents a significant expansion of the data collection process.

The agency further said that this enhanced system will also eliminate the existing exemptions for children under 14 and senior citizens over 79 from the photo-taking process.

To whom will this rule apply?

This rule would apply to all non-citizens, including immigrants, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and those illegally staying, and would authorize CBP to require facial recognition photography upon entry and/or departure of these individuals.

The regulatory document proposes that the rule would take effect 60 days from October 27 (the official date of publication in the Federal Register). A similar proposal in November 2020 was opposed by civil-rights groups.

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