RegardingID Archive | Coast Guard and US-VISIT keep illegal immigrants at sea

Friday, October 19, 2007

The Coast Guard wins agency award for its Identix portable, rugged biometric handhelds used in the Mona Passage near the Dominican Republic to counteract illegal immigrants. The scanners are tied to the Homeland Security Department’s US-VISIT Automated Biometric Identification database (Ident). The program is now in place on five cutters. Biometric and biographic data from the migrants is transferred to laptops on the ships and stored in encrypted files, which are then sent to US-VISIT as e-mail attachments. The information is automatically erased from the handheld scanners when it is transferred to the laptop. Results are returned within two minutes. Based on the fingerprints collected to date, 9 percent of the fingerprint matches to US-VISIT’s database are convicted felons, and 20 percent have orders of deportation barring them from entering the United States.

Read the full article here.

TSA expanding PreCheck screening program

The Transportation Security Administration announced that it’s expanding the PreCheck screening program that enables prescreened individuals expedited passage through airport security.

TSA Administrator John S. Pistole made the announcement at the Washington Press Club. Thus far PreCheck has been rolled out at nine airports and 460,000 travelers have gone through the screening process. PreCheck enables travelers to no longer remove their shoes or light jacket and allows them to keep their laptop in its case and their 3-1-1 compliant bag in a carry-on.

UK to start using biometric residence permits

The UK Border Agency has announced intentions to require applicants applying for six-month stays from outside the European Economic Area to use biometric residency permits starting at the end of February 2012, according to an HR Magazine article.

U.S. Army extends spouse and retiree smart card pilot

The U.S. Army has decided to extend it smart card pilot program for Army spouses and retirees. The pilot, which began in October 2011, now runs through September.

Singapore immigration implementing mobile verification

Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) plans to implement a mobile biometric screening device system to help its inland enforcement operations combat illegal immigrants.

As reported in the Straits Times and Today Online, the ICA is investing in MAVIS, the Mobile Automated Verification and Identification System. The handheld system can perform ID and fingerprint and facial recognition biometrics screening without having to bring a suspect into an office.

Accenture wins $71M contract from DHS

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded Accenture Federal Services a 13-month, $71 million contract to add biometric modalities and other enhancements to the US-VISIT program. US-VISIT uses digital fingerprints and photographs. A pilot program included in the contract will test facial and iris voluntary identification enrollment and matching.

UK and Ireland to share biometric data to fight illegal immigration

The UK and Ireland have struck a deal wherein they will share information from visa applications including fingerprint data, according to a BBC News article.

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Coast Guard and US-VISIT keep illegal immigrants at sea