U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Simplified Arrival, which uses facial biometrics to automate manual documentation required for admission, is being used at two California border crossings.
The technology is being implemented at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa pedestrian border crossing sites, providing travelers with a secure, touchless travel experience while fulfilling a longstanding Congressional mandate to biometrically record the entry and exit of non-U.S. citizens.
Authorities indicated San Ysidro, located between San Diego and Tijuana, serves as the world’s busiest land border crossing, located between San Diego and Tijuana. In fiscal year 2019, CBP processed nearly 40 million passengers.
“CBP is excited to announce the successful expansion of biometric facial comparison technology to the nation’s largest land border port of entry, San Ysidro, and the Otay Mesa pedestrian border crossing to further secure and streamline entry into the United States,” Diane J. Sabatino, deputy executive Assistant Commissioner of Field Operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said. “As part of our ongoing land border innovation efforts, CBP is developing a range of enhanced processes and services for travelers that are not only touchless and efficient but provide an additional layer of security and protect the privacy of all travelers.”
Otay Mesa is located east of San Ysidro and is the nation’s fourth-largest Port of Entry, with approximately 16 million travelers crossing the border in 2019 and 10 million last year.
The biometric facial comparison process will only be used at a time and place where travelers are already required by law to verify their identity by presenting a travel document.