Fingerprint scanners at US airports will scan all 10 fingers

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is transitioning from collecting two digital fingerprints to collecting 10 fingerprints from international visitors to the United States.

DHS plans to replace the current two-fingerprint scanners with new 10-fingerprint scanners at all U.S. ports of entry over the next year. The Department of State (DOS) is using 10-fingerprint scanners at most of its visa-issuing posts already and will complete deployment worldwide by the end of the year.

On November 29, 2007, DHS will begin initial deployment to U.S. ports of entry at Washington Dulles International Airport. In early 2008, nine U.S. airports will also collect additional fingerprints from international visitors to include: Boston Logan International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport (Houston, Texas), Miami International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York, N.Y.), Orlando International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport.

The 10-fingerprint collection transition is being led by DHS’s US-VISIT program. US-VISIT provides biometrics-based identity management services—collection, storage and analysis of biometric data—to the immigration and border management, law enforcement and intelligence communities. The most visible part of the program is the digital collection of biometrics—fingerprints and photographs—from visitors to the United States. This data is checked against information about known or suspected terrorists, immigration violators and criminals and helps facilitate legitimate travel, protect visitors against identity theft, prevent fraudulent document use, and keep our visitors and citizens safe from harm.