The
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week that additional
airports are implementing the e-Passport reader program.
The latest round of airports participating in the program is
Chicago-O’Hare International Airport,
Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta
International
Airport
,
Detroit
Metropolitan
Wayne
Country
Airport
,
Las Vegas
McCarran
International
Airport
,
Miami
International
Airport
,
Tampa
International
Airport
and
Phoenix
Sky
Harbor
International
Airport
. The implementation of these
e-Passport reader stations will continue at
U.S.
airports for the next few weeks. This
implementation is to meet an October 26, 2006 deadline requiring that "
U.S.
ports of entry have the capability to compare and authenticate data in
e-Passports issued by Visa Waiver Program countries," according to a DHS
press release.
The
e-Passport is intended to securely identify an individual, protect their
privacy, and protect them from identity theft.
DHS created the program as an effort to curb illegal entry into the
United States
using fraudulent documentation. When
applying to enter the
United States
, foreigners who have a valid passport with a digital photograph do not need to
obtain a new e-Passport until their current passport expires, if the passport
was issued before October 26, 2006.
*****
The Associated
Press reports that the
U.S.
is offering to permanently resettle up to 10,000 refugees from a 12-year civil
war in the African country of
Burundi
, the State Department said. Under
this resettlement, the refugees would be brought to the
U.S.
over the next two years with refugee status, and will be given the option of
applying for
U.S.
citizenship.
The
resettlement of the refugees, who have been in camps in
Tanzania
after fleeing from
Burundi
, is in response to a request in the past year from the U.N. High Commissioner
for Refugees. The refugees may be
accepted by other countries as well.
Over
250,000 Burundians were killed in the civil war before a cease-fire was arranged
last month. This country has long
been divided by tension between the Tutus and Tutsis, warring factions in
Burundi
.
*****
U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently opened a new, Records
Digitization Facility (RDF) in
Williamsburg
,
Kentucky
that the agency describes as "state-of-the-art."
During the opening ceremony, USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez unveiled the
agency’s multi-year plan to digitize paper immigration files, and clarified
the agency’s use of this type of modern data management platform to enhance
national security.
Gonzales
said of the program: "By moving from a paper-based system to an electronic
platform, we will enhance security, improve efficiency and be able to better
handle any future immigration reform."
The file digitization program is aimed to become an integral part of
USCIS’ ongoing efforts to make their paper records instantly available to the
various federal agencies that need to access those records around the world.