Foreign Travelers Now Fingerprinted, Photographed at NewarkLiberty Airport

January 5, 2004

Foreign Travelers Now Fingerprinted, Photographed at Newark Liberty Airport  
News 12 New Jersey, NJ 
 
Starting Monday, foreigners arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport 
will be fingerprinted and photographed by Customs officials. The new security 
measure, nicknamed Program U.S. Visit, is aimed at preventing known terrorists 
from entering the country.

The program is in place at each of the 115 U.S. airports that handle 
international flights. Authorities say Customs officials can instantly check 
passengers against terrorist watch lists and a national criminal database, with 
the entire process taking around 15 seconds per person. According to officials, 
around 24 million passengers will be checked through Program U.S. Visit each 
year.

Some travelers at Newark Liberty Airport say they feel safer knowing the 
program is in place and that authorities can check everyone entering the 
country. Others, however, say photographing and fingerprinting visitors is an 
invasion of privacy and will make foreigners feel like criminals. Opponents 
also worry that the new program may hurt tourism in New Jersey and the United 
States as a whole.

Program U.S. Visit is also in place at 14 major American seaports. Officials 
expect to have a similar program installed at 50 land border crossings by the 
end of next year. The only exceptions to the fingerprinting and photographing 
mandate are foreigners coming from the 27 countries whose citizens are allowed 
to enter the U.S. without a visa.

 
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