CBP testing facial recognition for in-car travelers at Mariposa Port of Entry

The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has launched a pilot program at the Mariposa Port of Entry to implement facial biometric testing for vehicle travelers. This initiative aims to verify the identities of passengers crossing the border in vehicles and is part of the department’s continuous efforts to improve border security and simplify the inspection process, which they refer to as a “secure, touchless travel experience.”

“We are excited to be testing this innovative technology at the Mariposa crossing,” says Michael Humphries, area port director. “Simplified Arrival will enhance and further secure the vehicle entry process at our land border ports of entry.”

As part of the technological setup, numerous cameras are strategically placed to capture real-time images of vehicle occupants as they approach the main inspection booth. These images are then cross-referenced with existing photographs in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) holdings using the Traveler Verification Service (TVS). This process involves a one-to-one (1:1) face biometric comparison between the live and source photographs stored within DHS databases.

TVS is a cloud-based biometric matching service that uses an algorithm to compare live photos against existing photos and is designed to perform both 1:N and 1:1 facial recognition matching.

To ensure the privacy of all travelers, face biometric technology will delete the photos of U.S. citizens within 12 hours of the entry inspection process. For foreign nationals required to provide biometrics, their photos are transferred and stored in the DHS’s Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) to comply with regulatory requirements.

Several U.S. federal laws mandate the government to establish and execute an entry-exit data system that aligns arrival and departure records and regularly updates Congress on its advancement. These laws also stipulate the inclusion of biometric data for foreign nationals. 

Additionally, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to devise a strategy to accelerate the implementation of an automated biometric entry and exit data system that aligns with the information provided by foreign nationals upon their arrival and departure from the United States.

In the past, CBP implemented biometric facial recognition technology at two new pedestrian border crossings, San Ysidro and Otay Mesa. According to CBP, the process takes only a few seconds and is 97 percent accurate. 

Article Topics

biometric matching  |  biometrics  |  border security  |  CBP  |  face biometrics  |  identity verification  |  Traveler Verification Service