Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the agency has implemented biometric facial comparison technology at pedestrian border crossings at all the Northern New York ports of entry.
Authorities noted the expanded scope includes Alexandria Bay, Ogdensburg, Massena, Trout River, Fort Covington, Chateaugay, and Churubusco, touting Simplified Arrival, an enhanced international arrival process using facial biometrics to automate the manual document checks already required for admission into the United States.
“I am excited to announce the deployment of biometric facial comparison technology to these additional border crossings,” Buffalo Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy said. “This new cutting-edge technology will help secure and streamline travel while providing a safe, touchless identification process for travelers.”
The process provides travelers with a secure, touchless travel experience and fulfills a Congressional mandate to biometrically record non-U.S. citizens’ entry and exit.
Meanwhile, the biometric facial comparison process occurs solely at a time and place where travelers are required by law to verify their identity by presenting a travel document. The method of using facial biometrics takes a few seconds and is more than 98 percent accurate.
Because of the advancement, foreign travelers who have traveled to the United States previously may no longer need to provide fingerprints – in the wake of their identity confirmed through the touchless facial biometric process.