Border Security: US-VISIT Program Faces Strategic, Operational, and Technological Challenges at Land Ports of Entry
GAO-07-248
Published: Dec 06, 2006. Publicly Released: Dec 14, 2006.
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Highlights
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program to collect, maintain, and share data on selected foreign nationals entering and exiting the United States at air, sea and land ports of entry (POEs). These data, including biometric identifiers like digital fingerprints, are to be used to screen persons against watch lists, verify visitors' identities, and record arrival and departure. GAO was asked to review implementation at land POE facilities and in doing so GAO analyzed: (1) efforts to implement US-VISIT entry capability; (2) efforts to implement US-VISIT exit capability; and (3) DHS's efforts to define how US-VISIT fits with other emerging border security initiatives. GAO reviewed DHS and US-VISIT program documents, interviewed program officials, and visited 21 land POEs with varied traffic levels on both borders.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Homeland Security | To help DHS achieve benefits commensurate with its investment in US-VISIT at land POEs and security goals and objectives, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the US-VISIT Program Director, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection to improve existing management controls for identifying and reporting computer processing and other operational problems as they arise at land POEs and ensure that these controls are consistently administered. | We found that United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and US-VISIT did not have adequate management controls for identifying and reporting computer processing and other operational problems at land ports of entry (POE). CBP and US-VISIT, by putting these controls in place, would be better positioned to avoid delays that could negatively impact land POE facilities' abilities to handle vehicular and pedestrian traffic and decrease the likelihood that incidents would arise that require CBP officials to turn visitors away. Further, these controls would better enable CBP supervisors and officers to report and resolve disruptions to US-VISIT computer operations helping to ensure that... a critical US-VISIT function-the ability use biometric information to confirm visitors'identities-would remain functional. We recommended that the US-VISIT Program Director, in collaboration with the Commissioner of CBP, improve existing management controls for identifying and reporting computer processing and other operational problems as they arise at land POEs and that they ensure these controls are consistently administered. In November 2007, in response to our report, CBP issued a directive that applies to all POEs (air, land, and sea) and explicitly addresses US-VISIT. The directive establishes controls that assign roles and responsibilities to CBP staff for reporting computer processing problems and monitoring operations. One section of the directive lists protocols for land POEs that address how CBP officials should identify and report computer processing and other operational problems as they arise. Another section requires that field office managers monitor application of these controls to ensure that they are consistently administered. As a result, CBP and US-VISIT demonstrated that there is a policy in place establishing management controls for identifying, reporting, and resolving computer processing and operational problems at land POEs and for monitoring the application of these controls.
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| Department of Homeland Security | To help DHS achieve benefits commensurate with its investment in US-VISIT at land POEs and security goals and objectives, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the US-VISIT Program Director, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection to develop performance measures for assessing the impact of US-VISIT operations specifically at land POEs. | In fiscal year 2007, we analyzed how the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program implemented technologies used to screen persons against watch lists at land port of entry (POE) facilities. We found that US-VISIT and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had not established performance measures to help them identify problems, trends, and areas needing improvement with regard to operating the US-VISIT screening technology at land POEs. US-VISIT officials reported taking actions to develop new performance measures since our report was issued. For example, in May 2008, US-VISIT published a 10-Print Initial Deployment Performance Evaluation Report which,...
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| Department of Homeland Security | As DHS finalizes the statutorily mandated report describing a comprehensive biometric entry and exit system for US-VISIT, the Secretary of Homeland Security should take steps to ensure that the report include, among other things, information on the costs, benefits, and feasibility of deploying biometric and nonbiometric exit capabilities at land POEs; a discussion of how DHS intends to move from a nonbiometric exit capability, such as the technology currently being tested, to a reliable biometric exit capability that meets statutory requirements; and a description of how DHS expects to align emerging land border security initiatives with US-VISIT and what facility or facility modifications would be needed at land POEs to ensure that technology and processes work in harmony. | In fiscal year 2007, we analyzed how the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program implemented technologies used to screen persons against watch lists at land port of entry (POE) facilities and worked to complement other emerging border security initiatives. We reported, among other things, that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had not yet reported to Congress on a required plan describing how it intends to fully implement a biometric entry/exit program, or use nonbiometric solutions. We recommended that, as part of this report, DHS should discuss the costs, benefits, and feasibility of deploying these capabilities at land POEs. US-VISIT officials...
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Biometric identificationBiometric visasBorder patrolsBorder securityHomeland securityIdentification cardsInformation managementInternal controlsStandardsStrategic planningVisasWaiversProgram implementation