Thread: Green Card Holders to be Fingerprinted

Green card holders to be fingerprinted
By: Lurdes C. da Silva 01/02/2009

WASHINGTON - Starting this month, green card holders could be required to provide their fingerprints, photos and other biometric data when they arrive at a U.S. port of entry for identification purposes.

The new rule, which was recently published in the U.S. Federal Register, will take effect on Jan. 18.

The new measure is part of the expanded Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology, or US-VISIT program. Launched in 2003, US-VISIT's purpose was to verify the identities and travel documents of visitors, including those who entered the country under the Visa Waiver program.

The change in policy to include lawful permanent residents (LPR), or green card holders, has drawn heavy criticism.

"The idea that lawful permanent residents, immigrants who have been living in the United States for years, will be subject to fingerscans and other biometric data collection procedures when traveling to and from the U.S. is simply wrong and borders on the absurd," said Charles H. Kuck, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

For Kuck, the expansion of this "unproven" program is premature.

"A bedrock principle in our society is freedom from government intrusion without reason. The sole reason permanent residents will be singled out for data collection is the fact that they are not yet United States citizens. Without any suspect wrongdoing, the U.S. Government will now collect biometric data from lawful permanent residents each time they enter the United States; privacy is not extinct."

Kuck is not alone.

According to the Federal Register notice, of the 71 comments received during the comment period, 32 urged that green card holders be exempt based on their status because they have previously been subject to significant security checks in order to obtain LPR status. Some commentators stated that there is no evidence that LPRs pose a threat to the level that they "should be grouped with" non-immigrants who are subject to US-VISIT.

However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains the new measure is entirely relevant because it continues to uncover significant immigration document fraud, particularly in relation to permanent resident cards, the notice stated.

Common examples include giving or selling a permanent resident card to someone else, altering a lost permanent resident card, and using a fraudulently created permanent resident card.

"DHS has substantially increased the security features on permanent resident cards in recent years, but security features are not fool-proof. Including LPR's within the scope of US-VISIT processing will enable DHS to detect, deter, and act against those who attempt fraud through the biometric match of the person presenting the (card) against the record of the person to whom that card was issued," the notice states.

Federal officials also maintain that the US-VISIT will enable DHS to determine if an LPR seeking entry has been convicted of any crime that would render the individual subject to removal from the United States. In addition, DHS is concerned about attempts by terrorist and transnational criminal organizations to recruit LPRs, who are perceived to be subject to less scrutiny in travel.

US-VISIT is now operational for entry at 115 airports, 15 seaports, and 154 land border ports of entry.

http://www.ojornal.com/site/news.cfm?ne ... 3384&rfi=6

If you are a legal permanent resident, you should have absolutely no problem being asked for biometrics or fingerprints. This is not racist, discriminatory or ethnic profiling as it done to American citizens as well.
What a wonderful belated Christmas present.

I would like to see them collect DNA samples from them too.

If you have a legally obtained greencard it should not be a problem as your fingerprints are already on file as is your picture. Unfortunately due to the bogus greencards and stolen ones out there the government has to resort to this. They should also increase the punishment for those caught making and selling fake greencards as well. In Miami it is well known how much and where you can obtain one if you speak the right language. They used to sell them as well as fake SSN in front of the immigration building on 79th St.

"A bedrock principle in our society is freedom from government intrusion without reason. The sole reason permanent residents will be singled out for data collection is the fact that they are not yet United States citizens. Without any suspect wrongdoing, the U.S. Government will now collect biometric data from lawful permanent residents each time they enter the United States; privacy is not extinct."

They collect our fingerprints at birth....I had to for years give a thumb print when I wanted to cash a check at the bank. I've been fingerprinted for jobs. Why should non citizens be exempt from the same things citizens go through when many haven't done anything wrong either or are traveling in and out of the country? Where's my privacy rights? They took them before I had a choice in the matter. They test our urine, some companies demand hair samples to check for drugs and alcohol, which of course has every bit of info in it for anything with our DNA and there's nothing saying what they do with that info or where it's going. I don't like it either, but how is it fair for citizens to be bogged down with all this proof and tracking, while immigrants, legal and illegal can run free in and out of this country at will.

I honestly can't imagine why we are constantly making it harder on those who are doing the right thing. We make US citizens and LEGAL residents jump through more hoops when they leave and re-enter the US. As Americans we are so easily giving up more and more of our rights to privacy to solve problems. We let airlines, security and our employers go through our luggage, search our bodies, take our finger prints, take our blood, take our urine, go through our private lives, and get into our business anytime they like. I believe we need to stand up for our rights to privacy before all of them are taken from us.

Instead of wasting time and resources on LEGAL permanent residents and American Citizens, when are we going to face the real problem and start securing our borders?

The majority of the ILLEGAL aliens coming into this country are not coming with fake green cards, fake passports or even through legal entry points. They are just walking right over the borders as they please with no identification what so ever. If our government concentrates on securing our borders first then the rest will be easy to control.

Added to Home PAge
http://www.alipac.us/article3864.html

We have members who are green card holders and married to those who are. I would like their opinion of this.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

I would like to see them collect DNA samples from them too.

I agree with that!

I went through the immigration process and it was hell. I came from Canada and it seemed more like I came from a country which is hostile with the United States. In some ways I agree with what the government is doing. The main reason is that living in South Florida and with all the illegals I found many of them come here illegally and then buy either fake or stolen greencards and SSNs. You hear some people get arrested and in the next day or two someone else has replaced them. Many times the greencards and SSN come from New York. I can't tell you what the going rate is now but it used to be between $800 and $1500.