US, Mexico launch pilot program to collect biographic information on travelers at San Ysidro-El Chapparral Port of Entry

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) recently launched a pilot program to collect and share biographic information on pedestrians leaving the United States for Mexico at the San Ysidro-El Chaparral Port of Entry.

The Joint Pedestrian Land Port of Entry Pilot will use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-enabled travel documents to create an implied exit record and authenticate a traveler’s departure from the United States.

In Phase I of the pilot program, Mexican citizens using RFID-enabled documents will use a separate lane equipped with an RFID reader for inbound processing by INM officials. The United States and Mexico will exchange biographic information on Mexican nationals to create traveler entry and exit records. RFID-enabled travel documents could include Border Crossing Cards, Permanent Resident Cards, U.S. Passport Cards, and Trusted Traveler Cards.

CBP and INM will share the information in accordance with each country’s privacy laws and policies. CBP and INM signed the Implementing Arrangement Regarding the Sharing of Border Crossing Data on August 30 as part of the legal framework for the data sharing.

CBP and INM plan to expand the pilot in future phases to share biographic information on all travelers.