US-VISIT implemented nationwide
Online Exclusive, Jan 8 2004
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The 10-15 second process of biometrically identifying most foreign visitors to the United States was implemented Monday at ports of entry and airports throughout the country.
The so-called US-VISIT (for U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology), will check fingerprints and photos of more than 24 million foreign visitors each year against terrorist and other criminal watch lists.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge inaugurated the process at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport -- site of the system's pilot program. Ridge said that authorities detained 21 people listed on the FBI's criminal watch list using the US-VISIT system.
The system takes inkless fingerprints and a digital photo of each person. The photo may be used to create a database for law enforcement purposes.
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