The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its FY 2017 Entry/Exit Overstay Report, which says that 701,900 foreign nationals overstayed their visa. The Washington Examiner notes the amount is greater than the number (526,901) who crossed the southwest border illegally that year.
In FY 2017, 52.7 million people who came to the United States as temporary workers and families, students, exchange visitors, temporary visitors for pleasure, temporary visitors for business, and other nonimmigrant classes of admission. For 1.33 percent, or 701,900, DHS could find no identifiable evidence of a departure.
Biometric entry/exit system needs to be implemented now!
In January 2017, President Trump issued and executive order stating: “The Secretary of Homeland Security shall expedite the completion and implementation of a biometric entry-exit tracking system for all travelers to the United States.” 22 years after it was mandated, the federal government has not implemented a biometric entry-exit system to track whether foreign nationals leave the country when their visas expire.
Most of these individuals are living and working in the U.S. and we have no idea where they are. It is past time for a biometric entry/exit system to be implemented.
We must know who enters this country and who leaves it.
I urge you to do all you can to get a biometric entry/exit system implemented.
Greg Raven, Apple Valley, CA
