The Department of Homeland Security is finalizing its plan for a biometric data system to track when immigrants leave the United States and will present it to Congress within "weeks," a top department official told a House Homeland Security subcommittee Tuesday.I think a lot of people would be surprised to learn that a comprehensive automated system for recording the departure of visitors isn't already in place at US entry and departure points. It's the kind of thing people just assume happens as a matter of course.
An exit system to track who is leaving the country and when has been sought since before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. DHS officials, including Secretary Janet Napolitano, have agreed with the need for such a program but have previously said it would be too costly.
Biometrics can help at a reasonable cost.
