October 24, 2001

(Washington, D.C.) The House of Representatives today passed comprehensive
anti-terrorism legislation, deemed the PATRIOT Act, which expands wiretapping and surveillance authority, strengthens money-laundering laws and seeks to disrupt terrorist cells.  The PATRIOT Act contains five provisions pushed by Delaware Congressman Mike Castle in his VISA Act.  Last week, Castle testified before the House Rules Committee urging them to include his language on border security and the tracking of foreign visitors.

“It is clear that the terrorists who attacked our nation on September 11 exploited some loopholes in our laws.  The PATRIOT ACT takes broad steps to root out terrorist cells in our nation, secure our borders and keep track of foreign visitors in the United States,” Castle said.  “I am pleased this legislation includes so many of the security provisions I have been advocating and I look forward to strengthening reporting requirements for businesses and schools.”
 
 The following provisions of Castle’s Visa Integrity and Security Act were included in the PATRIOT Act:

1. The sense of Congress regarding the need to expedite implementation of the integrated entry and exit data system.  An automated system to track visa holders to determine their legal status in real-time.

2. The Attorney General is to implement this integrated entry and exit data system with particular focus on biometric technology and development of tamper-resistant visas to provide highest degree of positive identification possible to federal and local law enforcement officials.

3. Requires Data system to be able to interface with law enforcement database for use by federal law enforcement agencies and requires the participation of the Office of Homeland Security on the entry-exit task force. 

4. Requires a report from the Office of Homeland Security on whether our federal agencies need to collect additional types of information from visa applicants to determine whether they are linked to terrorism. 

5. Requires student tracking systems to include flight school students.

Castle will keep pushing to require schools to report to the INS within 30 days of the start of the school term if the holder of a student visa by that school does not begin coursework.  He will also push to requite businesses to report to the INS when they  hire H-1B visa workers who do not show up or stop working for them."