U.S. to photograph Canadian travellers when they enter and exit at all land borders, airports

Warren Shepell had an unsettling experience this month when boarding his flight from Cleveland heading home to Toronto.

Just before getting on the plane, he says two uniformed officers approached him on the boarding ramp (Jetway), and one took his photo. 

“I was aghast. I felt ambushed,” said Shepell, a noted Canadian psychologist. 

He says the men never explained who they were or why he was photographed.

“They didn't tell me anything, and I just feel violated.”

Being photographed when in transit is something that Canadians who visit the United States will need to get used to: the country is advancing a plan to photograph Canadian travellers when they enter and exit the country by all modes of transport.

For close to a decade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been using facial biometrics to confirm the identities of international passengers arriving at U.S. airports. The process involves photographing travellers, and using biometric facial comparison technology to ensure their face matches the photo on their travel documents. 

Now, CBP is expanding the program with the goal of collecting images of departing passengers at all international U.S. airports. The agency also plans to take photos of travellers when they enter and exit the country at all sea ports, and in vehicle lanes at land borders.

CBP told CBC News it expects to have facial biometric technology fully in place at land borders sometime next year. Full implementation at sea ports and airports is expected within the next three to five years.

Meanwhile, CBP is already laying the groundwork for its plan. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a new rule on Friday that makes it mandatory for non-U.S. citizens, including Canadians, to take part in its facial biometrics program. The regulation is set to take effect on Dec. 26 — even though full implementation of the program could take years.

According to the rule, photos taken of foreign travellers will remain on a DHS database for up to 75 years.

CBP spokesperson Jessica Turner said in an email that the expansion plan fulfills “a Congressional mandate to biometrically record the majority of foreign nationals who enter and exit the United States.”

Facial biometrics “is about ensuring accurate records, enhancing security, and enforcing immigration laws,” she said.

Tracking travellers’ exits also helps CBP pinpoint those who stayed in the country longer than allowed, according to the new DHS rule.