CBP Department Adds Facial Recognition Biometric Technology at Major International Airports

The United States Customs and Border Protection department has recently announced a new advancement in security regulations at U.S. ports of entry. The CBP has started using facial recognition biometric exit technology to several ports of entry and exit from America. Flights leaving to Guadalajara, Mexico from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, flights from William P. Hobby International Airport in Houston, and O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, IL are all deploying the technology on daily flights leaving the country.

In June 2016, the first facial recognition biometric exit technology was tested at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and with the success of the pilot testing the Las Vegas, Houston, and Chicago airports all followed suit. The CBP plans on deploying more facial recognition technology in the near future.

What is biometric technology?

The CBP states that their goal is to “enhance national security and protect a traveler’s identity against theft through the use of biometrics.” Biometric information is any type that uniquely identifies a person by their physical characteristics. This can range from fingerprinting, eye scanning, and most recently, facial recognition software.

How does it work?

The CBP first builds a gallery of photos for all people flying on the aircraft based on their travel document. When the scanning process begins the photographs from the gallery are compared to the live photo of the traveler is used to confirm that the person is who they claim to be. If the match is detected and confirmed, then the U.S. citizen is confirmed as such and the photo is “discarded after a short period of time” according to the CBP.

What does this mean for EB-5 Visa holders and U.S. immigrants?

            The new technology adds another obstacle to the growing list of security layers being actively added to the U.S. customs department. EB-5 Visa holders and potential U.S. immigrants can expect to be scanned at the airports listed above and may be subject to further questioning if they are from any of the countries affected by the travel ban of 2017.