United States Entry Exit Tracking PDF Download

It is a common misconception that nearly all unauthorized immigrants sneak across our southern border. However, Pew Research Center estimated that in 2006, 40 to 50 percent of unauthorized immigrants currently residing in the U.S. had entered the country legally but overstayed their visa. Today, the U.S. cannot effectively track or verify whether temporary visitors leave the country before expiration of their visas. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted in 2007 that without the ability to biometrically track international travelers exiting the country the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), "cannot ensure the integrity of the immigration system by identifying and removing those people who have overstayed their original period of admission." The legal mandate for biometric entry-exit visa tracking is over a decade old, and DHS implemented the entry portion largely in accordance with statutory deadlines. However, an array of logistical challenges has prevented the Department from implementing similar exit capability to track departing visitors.