Green card holder? Be prepared for fingerprinting at the airport!

by Scott Carmichael on

As part of the US-VISIT program, designed to protect the country from terrorism and other threats, US Permanent Residents will soon have to subject to fingerprinting when they enter the country through an immigration checkpoint. The new rules go into effect on January 18th 2009.

The scheme is already in place for non permanent residents and other visitors, but it is the first time it has been expanded to permanent residents.

Fingerprinting Green card holders is quite strange, because part of the process of becoming a permanent resident involves an FBI background check and a pretty intensive fingerprinting procedure.

Of course, the fingerprinting could also be a way of ensuring the person entering the country with a Green card actually is who they say they are. It could also simply mean that the records stored within the government systems are such a mess, that they can’t do any reliable matching against terrorist records.

The next step in US-VISIT could be a little more scary, as the Department of Homeland Security claims there are “not currently” any plans to start fingerprinting US citizens when they re-enter the country, but I suspect that is probably not very far away.

(Via: Cnet)

Homeland Security employing illegal immigrants – under the table, of course

by Annie Scott on

Lorraine Henderson is our current poster-child for hypocrisy.

Henderson, the regional director of Homeland Security, Customs, and Border Protection and the director of the Port of Boston was stung by an undercover operation which revealed she repeatedly hired illegal immigrants to clean her home in Salem. The Law & Order -esque operation, complete with a maid wearing a wire, has resulted in her being charged with encouraging an illegal immigrant to remain in the country.

According to the eight page affidavit, Henderson employed a Brazilian housekeeper who she knew was in the country illegally — and also employed her friends when the housekeeper took leave to have a baby. Henderson even counseled her Brazilian housekeeper about how to avoid detection by law enforcement.

The housekeeper agreed to wear a wire after being approached by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Henderson, who is facing 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, has yet to enter a plea.

She also showed up to the courthouse in jeans and a gray sweatshirt. Sounds like somebody’s not even trying.

[via Boston.com]

Irish airports will offer pre-flight US customs and immigration

by Josh Lew on

Noel Dempsey, the transport minister of Ireland, has announced that he will meet with US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff next week. The two will sign an agreement that will allow airports in Dublin and Shannon, Ireland to provide US customs screening and immigration checkpoints prior to take-off. This will exponential up the convenience factor and also make Ireland a more viable hub for travelers flying between the US and Europe.

Passengers flying out of Ireland will still have to pass through customs and immigration. But they will be able to do so in Irish airports, where it is bound to be less crowded and hectic. Also, since no further immigration or customs clearance is necessary, planes from Ireland can land in domestic terminals at US airports.

Currently, Dublin and Shannon have US immigration checkpoints for outbound fliers. However, passengers still have to go through customs once they reach the US. The agreement with US Homeland Security will not bring immediate change. Shannon will begin offering full immigration and customs service next summer. Dublin will start the program in 2010.

[Via Airwise]

Gading Take FIVE: August 1–August 8

by Jamie Rhein on

This was a week of a wide range of travel news that captured the essence of variety in the entertainment world.

  • On the classy end of life, Josh posted on a museum exhibit about Finding Grace Kelly in Paris.
  • On the opposite end, Iva gave us the scoop on a character actor who hit a flight attendant and a police officer.
  • Also, on the bad behavior side, Aaron offered details about a flight attendant suing televangelist Joel Osteen’s wife.
  • If you want to see for yourself how celebrities behave, Grant told us about celeb spotting in Ann Arbor.
  • To see what a famous person’s private jet looks like, check out Sir Richard Branson’s sweet number.

There was also a wide range of details about how air travel can make you or break you.

So, that’s more than 5, but I saw patterns. Have a wonderful weekend!

Superman eyes: TSA’s device to see through clothes in an airport near you

by Jamie Rhein on

When Catherine first posted about TSA’s body scan device, I thought that the term “Big Brother is watching ” had reached a new level of meaning. The machine is one that a passenger steps though so that millimeter waves can be bounced off his or her body, thus capturing a fairly perfect image of the person’s exact shape sans clothes.

This isn’t the naked-as-a-jay bird, in your birthday suit image, but this grainy, fuzzy image that you see here. Still and all, do you see what I see? I think the person has an “inny” navel. Or is it an “outy?”

The machines must be doing some good where they are being used already, one would hope, since TSA is springing for more of them.

Engadget picked up on the story that machines are being installed in Dallas, Detroit, Miami and Las Vegas towards the end of June. The machine was used for the first time at the Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. yesterday. Albuquerque, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Denver, and JFK in New York have had Superman eyes capabilities for a few months now. If you have a plastic or ceramic gun and think you’re going to take it on an airplane, think again. TSA is on to you.

Personally, I’m going for a pat down if given a choice. There’s something about this machine creeps me out a bit. However, in this USA Today article, one official said that the body imaging capabilities are just being tapped.

Hmmm. Here’s an idea. Come up with a machine that also does health screening. While it’s searching out weapons it can search out cancer. People who pass through the machines would then get a free health report printout. Just think, eventually you might be able to take a flight a year and do without that colonoscopy, mammogram or prostate exam. It’s just a thought.

More crazy airline news: