Washington Post
--SNIP--
First proposed by Congress in 1996 and launched in 2004, US-VISIT is designed to automate tracking of visitors when they enter and exit the United States, to help find criminals, potential terrorists and visitors who illegally overstay their visas.
It has recorded 61 million people entering the country through 115 airports, 15 seaports and 154 land ports. Customs agents may fingerprint and photograph green-card holders at land ports at their discretion. But because of technical and policy hurdles, pilot projects have recorded only about 4 million people leaving the country.
"They've only got one half of the US-VISIT program working at all. You would have thought they would be concentrating on a viable exit solution," Williams said.
This is really disturbing. This leaves a potential 57 million who have overstayed a visa since 2004?
ICE better really ramp up the hiring of thousands of more agents and demand that Congress appropriate the money needed to have a serious and effective Interior Enforcement Strategy.
Posted by Tyne at July 28, 2006