The United States government has announced new border security rules that will mandate facial recognition and biometric verification for all non-US citizens, including Green Card holders, beginning on December 26, 2025. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that the new regulation aims to strengthen border control, prevent identity fraud, and reduce visa overstays, which have been a persistent issue in US immigration enforcement. The implementation will be handled by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which plans to extend its biometric data collection systems to every land, air, and sea port of entry.
According to DHS, the system will require nearly all non-citizens entering or exiting the US to undergo facial scanning and biometric data collection, removing previous age-based exemptions for travelers below 14 and above 79 years. This marks a significant expansion of an existing CBP program that already uses facial recognition for verifying international air passengers at most major US airports. Once enforced, the policy will make biometric checks mandatory across all entry and exit points nationwide. Officials have argued that the measure is essential to enhance national security and track individuals who overstay their visas, a group estimated to constitute around 42% of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the US, according to a 2023 Congressional Research Service report.
The US Congress had initially mandated an automated entry-exit tracking system in 1996, but its full rollout has been delayed for decades. Currently, biometric verification is conducted for all arrivals via commercial air travel, but exits are only tracked at limited ports. CBP now estimates that a fully operational system across all airports and seaports could be achieved within the next three to five years. Under the new model, CBP will compile an integrated image database for each traveler, combining photos from passports, travel records, and real-time scans captured at borders. These databases will allow border officers to authenticate identities more efficiently and detect potential fraudulent documents or false identities.
However, the announcement has sparked significant debate among civil liberties experts and human rights organizations. Critics argue that the policy expands the scope of government surveillance to unprecedented levels and raises serious privacy risks for travelers. They have also pointed to studies revealing that facial recognition systems are prone to inaccuracies, particularly when identifying individuals from minority communities. A 2024 US Commission on Civil Rights report highlighted that these systems demonstrate higher error rates in identifying Black, Asian, and Latino individuals, potentially leading to wrongful detentions or travel delays.
Cody Venzke, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told Bloomberg that while the DHS cites legal authority from over two decades ago to justify the regulation, “Congress could not have envisioned the use of facial recognition technology, which was in its infancy at the time.” He warned that the move could establish the framework for a “perpetual surveillance state,” arguing that the technology remains unreliable and poses disproportionate harm to people of color.
Despite the criticism, US officials have defended the expansion as a necessary step toward modernizing immigration systems and preventing the misuse of travel credentials. The DHS maintains that all collected data will be stored securely and used strictly for border management and national security purposes. Nonetheless, privacy advocates continue to urge stricter oversight and transparency, warning that without safeguards, the system could normalize mass biometric monitoring under the guise of national security.
