Airlines Blast Fingerprint Plan

The Department of Homeland Security want airlines to pay for fingerprinting foreign travelers as they leave the United States. Airlines are protesting the plan saying it would create long lines.

Congress has required the 33 million foreigners who enter the country every year to be fingerprinted when they enter and leave the country. They did not specify, however, who should take the prints.

The DHS, who currently fingerprint foreigners coming into U.S. airports, want the airlines to start taking the fingerprints of foreigners leaving the country.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) -- representing 240 airlines worldwide -- urged the White House to kill the plan.

Boingboing reminds us:

this is part of the failed US VISIT program, which has spent $15,000,000,000 without catching a single terrorist (the program has caught approximately 1,000 minor immigration cheats who'd overstayed their visas -- a cost of $15,000,000 per cheat).

-Dippold

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