New technology at work

Scanner, card will speed up crossing

By JASON BUCH
LAREDO MORNING TIMES
Published: Thursday, May 14, 2009 7:56 AM CDT

New ID-scanning technology at Laredo's international bridges will reduce wait times and free up U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to focus their attention on travelers, said Laredo Port Director Gene Garza.

Radio Frequency Identification technology can scan entry documents display the information to CBP officers in their booths, Garza said.

"Before, the officer would actually have to manually key in somebody's name and data," he said.

"This will automatically query it on its own and give that information to the officer without the officer having to do anything."

The new technology, which CBP finished installing this month, allows travelers entering the U.S. to display their entry documents to a reader.

Similar to the SENTRI

With the RFID readers in place, CBP officers will "be free to look more at the traveler because the document has already been read," Garza said.

"It will reduce the inspection time and it will provide for secure safety environment for document being presented to officer for inspection."

Its similar to the SENTRI system that has already been in place, and can read resident alien cards, passports, SENTRI cards, FAST cards, NEXUS cards and passport cards, Garza said.

RFID can also access chips in driver's licenses from some states, but not Texas.

U.S. passports began being equipped with RFID technology in 2006, said CBP Spokesman Rick Pauza.

Travelers without RFID-equipped entry documents can give their documents to CBP officers, who have card readers on hand, Pauza said.

The new technology is part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which will require a passport for reentry of U.S. citizens by the end of the summer.

CBP officers have been accepting a picture ID and birth certificate, and the implementation date requiring passports has been set back from Jan. 1 to June 1, but CBP officers will allow people to reenter with a picture ID and birth certificate through the summer, Garza said.

The technology is in place at all four of Laredo's international bridges, he said.

(Jason Buch may be reached at 728-2547 or jbuch@lmtonline.com)

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