Posted on 12/03/2004 1:03:10 AM PST by LouAvul
DALLAS — Nearly 300 criminals and immigration violators have been caught in the U.S. since January, when the government began high-tech finger scanning and photographing of foreigners at airports and seaports, according to the Department of Homeland Security (search).
But now that this technology is being used, local business leaders worry that the security program, called U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology System (search) or US-VISITS, is killing business.
The program, designed to keep terrorists out of the country, has become the new way for foreigners to prove they are who they say they are at land ports in Port Huron, Mich., Douglas, Ariz. and Laredo, Texas. The post-9/11 tool uses biometrics technology to take laser finger scans and digital photographs of people who plan to stay in the U.S. for an extended period of time.
Supporters of the program say it keeps the bad guys out and lets the good guys in.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
When people feel safe they spend and move around. Clear boundaries are good for everyone.
Control of Our Borders is to important to allow anyhting or anyone to prevent the implementation of any measure to know who is coming in and who is going out.
Classes for Building Walls 101, is convening at Isreal U, I suggest our Homeland Security people attend.
This is the Fly Paper approach, with no complaint, but will only be effective on those using LEGAL point's of entry. Walls and Gun turret's would be more effective. Putting the Legal screws to those among us that hire these ILLEGAL invader's would prove to be even more effective. Blackbird.
ping
No one complains about catching criminals, but if you look at travel and tourism message boards, ordinary foreign visitors (who spend a lot of money)and business travellers find the procedures make it worth their while to by-pass the U.S. completely. That 100 US Dollar entry fee is a lot of money out of some people's vacation budget -- especially those just passing through.
Right now, it's a matter of working out the kinks in the system, but this has damaged U.S. businesses, and it's going to take a long, long time to restore confidence in the customer base.
ping
Do you believe Congress should pass the intelligence reform bill without the immigration and border security provisions?
Yes 20% 717 votes
No 80% 2908 votes
Total: 3625 votes
www.cnn.com/lou
Contact Senators and House of Reps:
1-877-762-8762
president@whitehouse.gov
I noted you're an Australian. Your country, perhaps one of the most egalitarian on Earth, has had to crack down on immigration legal and illegal in recent years due to similar problems - too many too fast creating pocket communities that are little versions of the countries they fled from (nonassimilation).
More Moslems than us, though. I'm sorry that you've had incidents of young Moslem males snatching and raping girls similar to stories from Europe. Fine time for your government to confiscate personal firearms, eh?
I caught Michelle Malkin on radio last night. How I wish everyone could hear her! She had a lot of information, as usual, and suggested this as a bumper sticker:
PRO-ENFORCEMENT IS NOT ANTI-IMMIGRATION.
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