Biometrics to the rescue

Biometrics to the rescue

Dallas Morning News: Most of us reading about terrorist wannabe Hosam Smadi being apprehended by undercover FBI agents probably feel darn glad the feds got the 19-year-old before he could do any real harm.

But beyond that, how would we feel if the Jordanian had brought down a Dallas skyscraper and killed who knows how many people, only to learn that another terrorist was here to kill because he had overstayed his legal visa?

Pretty sick, just as we did upon learning that four 9/11 attackers had overstayed legal visas. And really sick when we realize the federal bureaucracy long ago was supposed to have a biometric system up and running that would let the authorities know whether a legal immigrant had overstayed his visa.

Congress passed a law in 1996 that required creating a biometric system to track whether a legal visa holder had arrived — and departed. Since then, we’ve had fits and starts galore. A pilot program here, a test program there, but no biometric method firmly established to determine whether anyone departed by land, sea or air. Perhaps you were aware that 40 percent of the people in America categorized as illegal immigrants came here legally and overstayed their visas.

Gathering more information

But it would make sense to at least have more information about whether people have overstayed their papers. U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, has pushed for this reform since he helped pass that law 13 years ago, and he’s right.

So, how to finally do this?

The Obama administration and Congress need to implement a biometric screening procedure at dozens of airports, along with seaports and border checkpoints. We’ve been piloting this thing for long enough; make it happen.

That way we could have a system that everyone would go through when they’re getting on a plane to depart the country, leaving the U.S. on a boat or crossing the border. The system would help authorities red-flag someone who might have been here legally but was no more.

Moreover, the system would give us better information about visa holders who have never gone through an air, land or sea checkpoint. The lack of an exit would inform officials that a known visa overstayer never left the country.

Yes, this reform will cost money, and it can’t happen tomorrow. No, there never will be a foolproof system.

But as Smadi’s attempt to destroy Fountain Place shows, we still live in a post-9/11 world. This is one reform we can’t afford to neglect.