http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 85210.html

Saturday, December 23, 2006

The Bush administration has given up on its high-tech plan to monitor foreign visitors overstaying their welcome -- roughly a third of all illegal aliens in the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security once claimed the U.S. Visit system, which included facial or fingerprint recognition programs, was vital to reduce illegal alien infiltration and critical to security; some of the 9/11 hijackers had stayed here after their visas had expired.

Congress ordered the creation of such a system in 1996. But only $1.7 billion has been allocated since 2003.

DHS now claims it lacks the financing and technology to have exit-monitoring systems at border crossings by next December. It could take up to 10 years to develop cost-effective technology and would require additional employees, buildings and roads at border crossings. DHS also is concerned that it might interfere with commerce.

A multibillion-dollar prize might entice inventors to try creating cost-effective systems; draconian penalties would put the onus on foreigners to check in with the state like parolees with parole officers. Anything is better than just giving up. Anything.

Said then-Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2002: "On Sept. 11, the American definition of national security changed and changed forever."

Then again, maybe not.