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 EPIC FOIA Notes

EPIC FOIA Notes #7
June 22, 2005

US-VISIT FINGERPRINT MISMATCHES = WATCH LIST HITS

SNAPSHOT [click for full document—Part 1 | Part 2]

THE DISCLOSURE
Documents obtained by EPIC from the Department of Homeland Security under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that visitors to the United States have experienced problems being "processed" by the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program. Complaints about the program include emails between an airline and the Department about 32 crew members who experienced fingerprint scanning mismatches that caused them to be improperly flagged by government watch lists.

THE ISSUE
Watch list accuracy and redress rights of non-American visitors to the United States.

THE BACKGROUND
US-VISIT is a border security program that records biographic, biometric and travel information of over 28 million foreign visitors to the United States each year. The program encompasses more than twenty existing information systems, many of which are maintained and operated by agencies other than the one in charge of US-VISIT.

THE SIGNIFICANCE
Flaws in the border security system have fingered innocent travelers as watch list matches.

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