Trump administration considering biometric database for potential immigrants

(Worthy News) – The Trump administration is reportedly considering plans for a biometric database that would require potential immigrants to submit fingerprints and other biometric information before being allowed to submit an online application, the Washington Examiner reports. The current immigration system requires applicants to apply to a US consulate for an interview and submission of their fingerprints.

According to the Washington Examiner, officials have said obtaining biometric information prior to the submission of an application will give the government time to conduct background checks and identify possible threats.

Deploying such a database would support President Trump’s promise of strong borders and “extreme vetting,” the Examiner noted. In a presidential order in June, Trump instructed the secretary of Homeland Security to “take appropriate action, consistent with applicable law, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to provide that an alien should not be eligible to apply for a visa or for admission or entry into the United States or other benefit until such alien has been registered with biographical and biometric information, including but not limited to photographs, signatures, and fingerprints.”

In any event, the Department of Homeland Security has bought more accurate new fingerprint machines for US consulates abroad.

The policy would apply to Canadians and anyone from the 39 countries that are currently enrolled in the DHS’s visa waiver program, the Examiner said. Anyone from these countries would need to supply biometric information even if they don’t need a visa to enter the US.

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