By Detroit Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick, Co-chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Cities and Borders Task Force
July 26, 2004

The nation is taking a giant step forward in protecting our borders with the program US-VISIT — short for U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology — which screens foreign nationals entering the country. But many issues must be resolved for the program to reach its goal of protecting America from terrorists without hurting commerce and the economy.

The US-VISIT program has run smoothly since it launched in January, but the real challenge lies ahead — both for our national security and our economy. As the government expands the system nationwide, it must carefully balance these two interests or the consequences could be disastrous.

Mayors and governors, especially those representing border states like Michigan, are concerned. We don't want terrorists slipping across our state lines, but we also don't want tourism and commerce to come to a grinding halt, either. That's why it's critical to implement a system that is efficient, accurate and secure.

Currently, the system covers 115 major airports and 14 cruise ship terminals across the country. By year's end, US-VISIT will be extended to the 50 busiest land crossings, and it must protect every land, air and sea entry into the United States by 2005.

Media attention has focused on US-VISIT's implementation at airports, which is designed to prevent a September 11'style attack. However, most foreigners enter our country by land — not by air.

Take a look at the numbers. Of the roughly 300 million foreign nationals that come to the United States every year, only 42 million pass through our airports. The remaining 238 million — or about 80 percent of foreign travelers — enter our country at land crossings. This number poses the greatest challenge for US-VISIT's expansion.

Lengthy security checks at the Mexican and Canadian borders will stall commerce. Last year, a General Accounting Office study warned that delaying every person at Washington state's Peace Arch border crossing by just 9 seconds ripples into an 11-hour backup. The consequences are more significant than traffic jams. U.S.-Canadian trade totals $1.2 billion every day, with Canada accounting for more U.S. trade than all the European Union members combined. The Mexican government calculates that in 2002 their citizens spent $3.6 billion in the United States.

To keep tourism and commerce flowing, the government must ensure that US-VISIT continues to operate quickly and accurately.

Cutting-edge technologies can meet this challenge. Customs and border agents can't manually search every person and vehicle entering the country. Biometric technology, like fingerprinting and iris scans, can quickly and accurately confirm identities. Radio frequency chips that broadcast biometric data can give agents a head start in screening travelers before visitors reach checkpoints.

Information sharing, however, will mean the difference between success and failure. The system must check all the terrorist watch lists, while seamlessly sharing information with consular offices, customs and border officers, as well as state and local law enforcement agencies.

The government is turning to the private sector to mold this jumbled data into a cohesive system. Facing a congressionally mandated deadline for full implementation by next year, the Department of Homeland Security may be tempted to get the job done cheap and fast. In fact, congressional leaders from both parties are already criticizing the agency for poor information technology management.

Cutting corners could result in a system that is neither efficient nor secure. It's imperative the government seek out experienced information technology companies. They must solve complex data'sharing problems, as well as integrate the government's outdated computer networks.

Secondly, the department must insist on stringent security standards. Private'sector employees will have access to classified information and our methodology for identifying potential terrorists.

Moreover, public officials are becoming more and more concerned about warehousing sensitive data on American citizens. How safe is the warehouse? Who guards that warehouse? Is there a better way of proceeding so that sensitive data can be read where it is housed?

These days many technology companies outsource their jobs overseas, a practice known as "offshoring," or they set up shop off American shores to avoid paying taxes. While it may be cheaper to pay a foreign computer programmer, does it make sense to allow foreigners to design one of the most sensitive screening systems?

It doesn't pay to be penny wise and pound foolish, according to the old adage. That's good advice for the officials supervising US-VISIT. By demanding the highest standards, we can protect both our nation's security and our economy.

This op-ed piece originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press, June 1, 2004.