ATTACKS ON AMERICA-- Border Security
The terrorist attacks of September 11th have unsettled the public's confidence in our Nation's security and have raised concerns about whether our institutions are up to the task of intercepting and thwarting would-be terrorists. Given that the persons responsible for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon came from abroad, our citizens understandably ask how these people entered the United States and what can be done to prevent their kind from doing so again. Clearly, our immigration laws and policies are instrumental to the war on terrorism. While the battle may be waged on several fronts, for the man or woman on the street, immigration is in many ways the front line of our defense.
Bills:
H.R. 3525 - The Kennedy-Brownback Bill to Enhance the Border Security of the United States. On April 18th, the Senate passed H.R. 3525 (originally known as S.1749) by a vote of 97-0. The House, on May 8, voted to pass the bill 411-0 (two voted present). The president signed the measure (Public Law 107-173) on May 14. This bill, which complements earlier anti-terrorism legislation, takes several steps to reform immigration laws and institutions in order to improve the security of the nation’s borders. Some of the bill’s highlights are listed below:
Technology:	This act will strengthen laws that concern secure identification documents. Machine-readable passports with biometric identifiers will be required for countries in the visa-waiver program, enabling immigration inspectors to compare information on a travel document with digitized codes on that same document.
Information Sharing:	America’s gatekeeper agencies – the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), State Department, and Customs Service – depend on intelligence agencies like the CIA and the FBI to collect the information that can be used to deny terrorists entry into the United States. Communication between federal agencies of both gatekeeper and intelligence varieties has not always been efficient. The Border Security bill requires the development of a plan to facilitate the flow of information from intelligence agencies to gatekeeper agencies. In addition, the bill requires that a study be conducted to determine the feasibility of creating a database with Canada and Mexico so that their intelligence information can be shared with the United States in a timely manner.
Layers of Security:	The high volume of visitors to the United States puts enormous pressure on immigration inspectors and some visitors are granted privileges that other visitors are not, depending on the country of origin. To reduce the possibility of backlogs or inspection oversight, several opportunities to apprehend dangerous travelers. This legislation provides extra scrutiny on people arriving from countries that sponsor terrorism, offers additional training for consular officers, examines the feasibility of screening passengers before they board international flights, and requires airlines to submit information about passengers and crew to U.S. authorities prior to their arrival. The bill also requires a study examining cooperation with Canada and Mexico to create a North American Perimeter of security.
Inside the U.S. :	In the case where a terrorist is identified after having gained entry into the U.S., the Border Security Act has several provisions that would enhance authorities’ ability to monitor such persons. The bill would:1) enable the government to track whether foreign students actually enroll in the course of study in which they have been accepted; 2) require that records be kept of all foreign nationals who enter and exit the U.S.; and 3) improves the communication between the Department of State (which issues visas) and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (which provides visa enforcement).
Press Releases
Border Security Press Releases
Resources
Immigration & Naturalization Service
Immigration forms
Immigration laws
Immigration courts
Immigration statistics
State Department
Passport information
United States Embassies
Foreign travel information
Visas to other countries
Visas to the United States
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