House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) said efforts by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to possibly expand preclearance operations to 11 new foreign airports would bolster border security.
Last week’s preclearance announcement by DHS aims to support the growth of the American travel and tourism industry, while beefing up security by preventing high-risk travelers from boarding aircraft bound for the United States.
“The value of preclearance operations has only intensified in the post-9/11 threat environment as we continue to bolster border security and counterterrorism efforts to prevent the travel of foreign fighters and other nefarious actors bound for our shores,” McCaul said. “Preclearance is a key layer of defense critical to protecting the homeland and thwarting terror plots long before they reach our country.”
If preclearance operations at the foreign airports are finalized, travelers would be subject to immigration, customs, and agriculture inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection before boarding a flight to the United States as opposed to on arrival.
The 11 airports identified for possible preclearance include: El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, Colombia; Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Edinburgh Airport in Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Keflavik International Airport in Iceland; Mexico City International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico; Milan-Malpensa Airport in Milan, Italy; Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan; Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy; São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten.
More than 10 million people fly to the United States from those 11 airports annually.
McCaul also said he was encouraged that the Swedish government has signed an agreement to implement preclearance operations at Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Stockholm is a final departure point for many flights bound for the United States. Preclearance operations there may start as early as 2019.