Border agents are going to photograph everyone leaving the US by car

Published: Friday, May 9, 2025 at 7:58 pm

US Border Patrol to Photograph All Outbound Travelers by Car

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is expanding its use of facial recognition technology to include all individuals leaving the country by car. This means border agents will photograph every person exiting the U.S. at official border crossings, matching their faces to passports, visas, and other travel documents. While a specific timeline hasn't been released, the agency confirmed the plan to Wired, stating that this is an extension of their current practice of photographing inbound travelers.

CBP has been working on tracking outbound travelers for over a decade. They began experimenting with biometric data collection at airports in 2016, partnering with Delta Air Lines to photograph passengers. This has since expanded, with facial recognition technology currently used at 57 airports, including major hubs like Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, and New York's JFK.

The agency argues that facial recognition is intuitive for travelers, unlike methods like iris scans or fingerprints. CBP also uses handheld devices to collect fingerprints from some travelers before flights, cross-referencing them with law enforcement databases.

The stated purpose of this data collection is to ensure individuals with criminal records are prevented from leaving the country. The article highlights a case where the technology helped catch a Polish couple with criminal histories attempting to depart under false identities. The article also notes that this data could be used to monitor self-deportations.

BNN's Perspective: While the stated goal of enhancing national security and preventing the departure of individuals with criminal records is understandable, the expansion of mass surveillance raises concerns. The collection of biometric data on all outbound travelers, regardless of their background, represents a significant increase in government oversight. It's crucial to balance security concerns with the protection of individual privacy and civil liberties.

Keywords:
US Border Patrol, CBP, facial recognition, outbound travelers, border crossings, biometric data, passports, visas, airports, surveillance, immigration, national security, Donald Trump, Delta Air Lines, fingerprints, law enforcement, privacy, mass surveillance, travel, border security

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