Marking the 8th Anniversary of DHS

from The Blog @ Homeland Security by Homeland Security Blog Team

(from l to r) Fmr. Secretary Tom Ridge, Secretary Janet Napolitano, and Fmr. Secretary Michael Chertoff.  Moderator, NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell (r) Photo by: Barry Bahler/DHS

Only three people have held the position of Secretary of Homeland Security, and today, all three joined together to celebrate and reflect on our Department's history. In front of a packed audience at Georgetown University, Secretary Napolitano joined her predecessors, former Secretaries Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff, in a conversation about the Department’s ongoing efforts to protect our nation, and the challenges we face as we continue to  prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from terrorism and other threats.  

Photo by: Barry Bahler/DHS

Visit us on the web to learn more about the 8th anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security, and to learn about how DHS works every day to secure our nation.



Photo by: Barry Bahler/DHS

Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.

DHS Begins Collecting 10 Fingerprints from International Visitors at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport

Release Date: March 25, 2008

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: US-VISIT Public Affairs, 202-298-5200
CBP Public Affairs 212-514-8324

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that it has begun collecting additional fingerprints from international visitors arriving at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The change is part of the department’s upgrade from two- to 10-fingerprint collection to enhance security and facilitate legitimate travel by more accurately and efficiently establishing and verifying visitors’ identities.

“Biometrics have revolutionized our ability to prevent dangerous people from entering the United States since 2004. Our upgrade to 10‑fingerprint collection builds on our success, enabling us to focus more attention on stopping potential security risks,” US‑VISIT Director Robert Mocny said.

For more than four years, U.S. Department of State (DOS) consular officers and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have been collecting biometrics—digital fingerprints and a photograph—from all non-U.S. citizens between the ages of 14 and 79, with some exceptions, when they apply for visas or arrive at U.S. ports of entry.

“Quite simply, this change gives our officers a more accurate idea of who is in front of them. For legitimate visitors, the process becomes more efficient and their identities are better protected from theft. For those who may pose a risk, we will have greater insight into who they are,” added Paul Morris, Executive Director of Admissibility and Passenger Programs, Office of Field Operations, CBP.

The department’s US-VISIT program currently checks a visitor’s fingerprints against DHS records of immigration violators and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) records of wanted persons and known or suspected terrorists. Checking biometrics against the watch list helps officers make visa determinations and admissibility decisions. Collecting 10 fingerprints also improves fingerprint matching accuracy and the department’s ability to compare a visitor’s fingerprints against latent fingerprints collected by Department of Defense (DOD) and the FBI from known and unknown terrorists all over the world. Additionally, visitors’ fingerprints are checked against the FBI’s Criminal Master File.

On an average day at JFK, almost 14,400 international visitors complete US‑VISIT biometric procedures. Visitors from Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France and Japan comprise the largest numbers of international visitors arriving at JFK.

JFK is the tenth port of entry to begin collecting 10 fingerprints from international visitors. Washington Dulles International Airport began 10-fingerprint collection on
November 29, 2007. Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Boston Logan International Airport, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Miami International Airport, Orlando International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport have also begun 10-fingerprint collection.

US‑VISIT is evaluating 10‑fingerprint collection at these airports. It will use the results to inform the deployment of the technology to the remaining air, sea and land border ports of entry that will transition to collecting 10 fingerprints by December 2008.

Since US‑VISIT began in 2004, DHS has used biometric identifiers to prevent the use of fraudulent documents, protect visitors from identity theft, and stop thousands of criminals and immigration violators from entering the country. US‑VISIT, in cooperation with CBP, is leading the transition to a 10-fingerprint collection standard. This upgrade is the result of an interagency partnership among DHS, FBI, DOD and DOS.

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DHS Signs Visa Waiver Program Agreements with Slovakia, Hungary and Lithuania

Release Date: March 17, 2008

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff signed today Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with Slovak Minister of the Interior Robert Kaliňák, Hungarian Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi and Lithuanian Ambassador Audrius Brūzga. The security enhancements outlined in the agreements put all three countries on track for visa-free travel to the U.S., and potential designation as VWP members later this year.

“I applaud Slovakia, Hungary and Lithuania for their leadership on these enhanced security measures, and I look forward to the day when their citizens can travel to the United States without a visa,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “In today’s interconnected world, facilitating travel between partner nations with a common focus on security is not only beneficial, it’s imperative. We’re fortunate to have strong ties with each of these countries, and with the European Union. As we move forward with other aspiring allies toward visa free travel, we will also continue to collaborate with the European Union, especially in areas where it has unique legal authority.”

The U.S. Congress authorized DHS in August 2007 to reform the VWP and strengthen the security arrangements required of existing participant countries, as well as to expand the conditions for aspiring countries to join the program.

Among the security enhancements required, DHS will establish an electronic system of travel authorization for air passengers. VWP travelers will be asked to provide some basic information online, which will generate an authorization number for travel. DHS will announce complete details on how the authorization systems will work, and when they will begin, later this year. VWP partners also must ensure reporting of lost and stolen passports to avoid fraudulent use and enhance security measures for airports that originate flights to the U.S., to include permitting air marshals on certain flights.

The VWP has been authorized by U.S. law for over 20 years, with 27 current members from Asia and Europe. The department has signed enhanced VWP agreements with the Czech Republic, Estonia and Latvia in recent weeks. Each country committed to meeting the new requirements of the program, to include an electronic system of travel authorization.

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DHS Releases REAL ID Regulation

Release Date: January 11, 2008

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

REAL ID Requirements

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today a final rule establishing minimum security standards for state-issued drivers’ licenses and identification cards. The rule sets uniform standards that enhance the integrity and reliability of drivers’ licenses and identification cards, strengthen issuance capabilities, and increase security at drivers’ license and identification card production facilities. The final rule also dramatically reduces state implementation costs by roughly 73 percent.

“The American public’s desire for greater identity protection is undeniable,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “Americans understand today that the 9/11 hijackers obtained 30 drivers licenses and ID’s, and used 364 aliases. For an extra $8 per license, REAL ID will give law enforcement and security officials a powerful advantage against falsified documents, and it will bring some peace of mind to citizens wanting to protect their identity from theft by a criminal or illegal alien.”

The problems that Americans face from document fraud are diverse and growing. A Public Opinion Strategies poll taken last year shows that more than 80 percent of the American public favors secure identification to prevent terrorism and identity theft. Identity theft has increased by nearly 800 percent from 2000 to 2006, according to the Federal Trade Commission. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made 863 criminal arrests during various worksite enforcement operations in fiscal year 2007 - more than 500 were charged with crimes relating to federal and state document fraud - and their Identity and Benefit Fraud Units made 1,211 criminal arrests for document fraud related charges. The U.S. Secret Service made 4,348 arrests last year for identity theft or financial fraud crimes, accounting for approximately $690 million in actual fraud loss to individuals and financial institutions. In a sampling of Secret Service identify theft cases from 2000 to 2006, fraudulent drivers’ licenses were used 35 percent of the time.

REAL ID will address document fraud by setting specific requirements that states must adopt for compliance, to include: (1) information and security features that must be incorporated into each card; (2) proof of the identity and U.S. citizenship or legal status of an applicant; (3) verification of the source documents provided by an applicant; and (4) security standards for the offices that issue licenses and identification cards.

The first deadline for compliance with REAL ID is Dec. 31, 2009. By then, states must upgrade the security of their license systems, to include a check for lawful status of all applicants, to ensure that illegal aliens cannot obtain REAL ID licenses. Some states are expected to be compliant well before that time. Compliance will be needed for access into a federal facility, boarding commercial aircraft, and entering nuclear power plants. Federal agencies will continue to accept licenses for official purposes from residents of states that comply with the law.

DHS is making approximately $360 million available to assist states with REAL ID implementation - $80 million in dedicated REAL ID grants and another $280 million in general funding as part of the Homeland Security Grant Program.

The 73 percent cost reduction – from an original estimate of $14.6 billion to approximately $3.9 billion – was achieved mainly by giving states greater flexibility in issuing licenses to older Americans. Enrollment will be completed for all individuals under 50 years of age by Dec. 1, 2014. For all others, enrollment may be extended three additional years to Dec. 1, 2017. At that time, all state-issued drivers’ licenses and identification cards intended for official federal purposes must be REAL ID compliant.

REAL ID was a core 9/11 Commission finding and mandated by Congress in the REAL ID Act of 2005. This final rule follows a Notice of Proposed Rule Making published in the Federal Register on March 9, 2007. Based on comments received from various stakeholders, DHS drafted the final rule to substantially reduce costs and account for investments that many states have already made to improve the security of their drivers’ licenses.

For more information, this final rule is currently available at www.dhs.gov and will soon be published in the Federal Register.

This page was last reviewed/modified on January 11, 2008.

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