The Department of Homeland Security wants to put the onus of fingerprinting foreigners leaving the United States on airlines and cruise companies, according to a plan hatched earlier this week.
Airlines and cruise companies would have 24 hours to send those fingerprints and their passengers’ information to the DHS, which would log the information into its US-VISIT database that currently tracks the whereabouts of foreigners who have entered the U.S.
Currently DHS agents are in charge of fingerprinting all foreigners who enter the U.S., and it was assumed that they would be the point people when the DHS eventually expanded its fingerprinting program to include departing foreigners. Therefore, the DHS’ proposal on Tuesday came as a surprise to the airline and cruise industries.
The industries are questioning why the DHS would leave the matter of border security in the hands of the private sector.
If this goes through, it won’t be cheap for airlines and cruise companies to comply: The DHS says it’ll cost them more than $2.5 billion over 10 years (though the government could help defray that expense).
Both industries now have 60 days to comment on the DHS proposal.
CNN has a full report.