DHS Marks First 100 Days With Plans For New US VISIT System And The End Of NSEERS
The Department of Homeland Security reflected on its 100-day anniversary this week with a speech by Secretary Tom Ridge before the National Press Club. Ridge gave an assessment of the department's progress and introduced the launching of a new entry-exit system, which will replace the controversial special registration program.
Officials said Ridge would order the end of the domestic component of the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) because he believes it has accomplished its mission to ferret out potential national security problems. NSEERS required males age 16 and over from certain countries to be photographed, fingerprinted and interviewed. The fourth, and possibly last, round of domestic registrations ended this week, targeting males from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan and Kuwait. Immigration advocates said the program discriminated against foreigners, particularly Middle Easterners.
In his speech, Ridge said the new U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indication Technology (VISIT) system will capture point of entry and exit information on visitors. Using a minimum of two biometric identifiers, the VISIT system is designed to make entering the U.S. easier for tourists, students and business travelers, while making it more difficult for illegal visitors to gain access, Ridge said. Data from photographs, fingerprints or iris scans will be entered into the electronic system and will be integrated with the department's new student-tracking system, SEVIS. The VISIT system is scheduled to be in its first operational phase at international air and sea ports of entry by the end of 2003.
The Department of Homeland Security was created on January 24 in the largest transformation of the federal government since 1947, when President Truman merged the branches of the armed forces into the Department of Defense. The DHS supervises 180,000 employees from 22 combined agencies. Together, they are responsible for intelligence analysis, infrastructure protection, border patrol, response and recovery operations, and immigration policy, processing and enforcement.
"Within the first 100 days of the Department of Homeland Security, we¡¦ve launched a number of initiatives that have brought this country to its highest level of security and protection than at any other time in our nation's history," Ridge said.
Among the new departments achievements, Ridge included:
deployment of BICE agents to Iraq to help trace the source of $700 million in U.S. currency seized to date
orchestration of Operation Iraqi Heritage - a plan to return artifacts looted from the Iraqi museum
launch of Operation Liberty Shield, to build guard the country against terrorist attacks during the war in Iraq.
creation of the Ready campaign, designed to encourage citizen preparedness. Ready.gov became one of the most visited websites in America
reorganization of border agencies
development of defensive measures to secure strategic ports throughout the U.S.
technological progress with the introduction of electronic filing for two of the most commonly submitted immigration forms, I-90 and I-765.
plans to standardize the English, government and U.S. history tests administered to citizenship applicants.
"In a very short period of time, we think we've come a considerable distance. I can report to you that your nation's newest department has made solid, productive, and measurable progress in a very short amount of time," Ridge said. "Our job is to turn resolve into results and results into readiness."
The Department of Homeland Security reflected on its 100-day anniversary this week with a speech by Secretary Tom Ridge before the National Press Club. Ridge gave an assessment of the department's progress and introduced the launching of a new entry-exit system, which will replace the controversial special registration program.
Officials said Ridge would order the end of the domestic component of the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) because he believes it has accomplished its mission to ferret out potential national security problems. NSEERS required males age 16 and over from certain countries to be photographed, fingerprinted and interviewed. The fourth, and possibly last, round of domestic registrations ended this week, targeting males from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan and Kuwait. Immigration advocates said the program discriminated against foreigners, particularly Middle Easterners.
In his speech, Ridge said the new U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indication Technology (VISIT) system will capture point of entry and exit information on visitors. Using a minimum of two biometric identifiers, the VISIT system is designed to make entering the U.S. easier for tourists, students and business travelers, while making it more difficult for illegal visitors to gain access, Ridge said. Data from photographs, fingerprints or iris scans will be entered into the electronic system and will be integrated with the department's new student-tracking system, SEVIS. The VISIT system is scheduled to be in its first operational phase at international air and sea ports of entry by the end of 2003.
The Department of Homeland Security was created on January 24 in the largest transformation of the federal government since 1947, when President Truman merged the branches of the armed forces into the Department of Defense. The DHS supervises 180,000 employees from 22 combined agencies. Together, they are responsible for intelligence analysis, infrastructure protection, border patrol, response and recovery operations, and immigration policy, processing and enforcement.
"Within the first 100 days of the Department of Homeland Security, we¡¦ve launched a number of initiatives that have brought this country to its highest level of security and protection than at any other time in our nation's history," Ridge said.
Among the new departments achievements, Ridge included:
deployment of BICE agents to Iraq to help trace the source of $700 million in U.S. currency seized to date
orchestration of Operation Iraqi Heritage - a plan to return artifacts looted from the Iraqi museum
launch of Operation Liberty Shield, to build guard the country against terrorist attacks during the war in Iraq.
creation of the Ready campaign, designed to encourage citizen preparedness. Ready.gov became one of the most visited websites in America
reorganization of border agencies
development of defensive measures to secure strategic ports throughout the U.S.
technological progress with the introduction of electronic filing for two of the most commonly submitted immigration forms, I-90 and I-765.
plans to standardize the English, government and U.S. history tests administered to citizenship applicants.
"In a very short period of time, we think we've come a considerable distance. I can report to you that your nation's newest department has made solid, productive, and measurable progress in a very short amount of time," Ridge said. "Our job is to turn resolve into results and results into readiness."