Border Protection Surpasses 1 Billion Travelers Processed With Facial Biometrics

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that more than a billion travelers have now been processed using facial biometric technology.

CBP integrated facial biometrics with a 98 percent-plus accuracy rate into the entry processes at all U.S. airports receiving international arrivals, CBP said in an Oct. 5 statement.

The system has also been implemented at exits in 66 airports.

In addition, 42 seaports have implemented facial biometrics. CBP has also entered into data-sharing deals with cruise lines.

The agency implemented facial biometrics technology in all pedestrian lanes in the northern and southwest border ports of entry. In select locations, the system has also been placed in vehicle lanes.

“Accurately verifying the identity of over 1 billion travelers at air, land, and sea with facial biometrics signifies a historic achievement for CBP and the Department of Homeland Security,” Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane J. Sabatino of CBP’s Office of Field Operations said in the statement.

“This milestone is a powerful testament to our commitment to meeting the biometric Entry/Exit mandate by leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance national security, streamlining the travel experience, protecting privacy, and effectively combating threats like identity fraud,” Sabatino said.

The agency has biometrically identified more than 600,000 overstayers and more than 2,300 impostors since 2018, the CBP said.

In a recent statement, CBP said it received $673 million under One Big Beautiful Bill Act funding to expand the system across all U.S. ports of entry.

CBP clarified that it discards photos of American citizens within 12 hours of identity verification.

The need for speeding up the implementation of an automatic biometric entry/exit data system came into focus following the 9/11 attacks, when several pieces of legislation, along with the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, emphasized the need for it.

In 2013, Congress mandated identifying noncitizens who enter and leave the United States.

The CBP developed the Traveler Verification Service as part of the effort—a facial biometrics matching service that automates the process.

Facial biometrics enable CBP to identify criminals, including suspected terrorists; identify people overstaying in the United States; prevent visa fraud; and block individuals already removed from the United States from reentering illegally.

“Although U.S. citizens are not covered by this rule, they may continue to voluntarily participate in the facial biometrics process at entry and exit,” CBP said.

“U.S. citizens who prefer to opt out of the facial biometrics process may simply notify a CBP officer or airline representative and undergo manual inspection of their passport, as required for international travel.”

Identification Systems

The United States has various identity verification and storage mechanisms, including biometrics.

The Automated Biometric Identification System holds more than 320 million unique identities, processing 400,000 biometric transactions daily.

The system is owned by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which uses biometrics for various purposes, including facilitating legitimate travel, as well as identifying and preventing illegal entry into the country.

CBP, which comes under DHS, operates the Automated Targeting System, which is a tool that compares traveler, conveyance, and cargo information against law enforcement and intelligence data.

U.S. law also requires air carriers operating in the United States to provide DHS and the CBP with certain passenger reservation details.

“This information is transmitted to CBP before departure and used primarily for purposes of preventing, detecting, investigating, and prosecuting terrorist offenses and related crimes and certain other crimes that are transnational in nature,” according to CBP.