Customs’ Land-Border Biometric Collection Pilot Not To Apply To Trucking

On Friday, November 13, 2015, U.S. Customs & Border Protection issued a notice announcing a pilot project for collecting biographic and biometric information of travelers at the Otay-Mesa, California Port-of-Entry. CBP already collects biographic data (written information) about all travelers entering the United States through the I-94 Form. The pilot project will test the feasibility of collecting biometric data (iris photographs and facial photographs) of non-U.S. citizens entering or exiting the U.S. It will also test the feasibility of collecting written, biographic data on all those exiting by requiring resubmission of the I-94 Form, just as is presently required at air ports. In response to the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and other industry concerns, CBP is limiting this test to the pedestrian lanes of the border crossing only. However, CBP is under direction from Congress to eventually develop a biometric entry & exit tracking system for all border crossings, including highway commercial traffic. Despite this direction, presently there are no plans to extend these requirements to trucks or to conduct pilot projects on highway commercial traffic.