TORONTO, (Nov. 5, 2004) — The deputy director of U.S. Homeland Security was in town yesterday to explain a new biometric entry-exit border program for landed immigrants, but quickly found himself rebutting suggestions by Canadian media and special interest groups that the procedures are perceived as racist.

The new rules — which have been in place at air and seaports since January ’04 — will kick off at the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia, Ont. and Port Huron, Mich. on Nov. 15. The program will extend to most busy land ports by Dec. 31, 2004, and all other ports of entry by Dec. 31, 2005.

As part of the anti-terrorism U.S.-VISIT program, any U.S.-bound landed immigrant, or any other non-Canadian citizen who requires a temporary VISA to enter the U.S. for business or pleasure, will now have to undergo biometric finger scans and digital photographs at the secondary inspection centre whenever they cross the border.

A Customs and Border Protection officer would then match the visitor’s info against the info collected by the Department of State at the time of visa issuance before clearing him.

“We want to know who’s knocking on our door,” Robert Mocny of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said at a news conference yesterday. “When you know who the individual is, you’re more than happy to welcome them into your home.”

Mocny dismissed the suggestion made by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, and a few newspaper and TV reporters that the new security measures discriminate against people of colour. “We’re very, very transparent with this program. It doesn’t apply to any particular group in any way,” he said.

He added that anyone who doesn’t want to be fingerprinted or photographed could simply withdraw their request to enter U.S. and return home.

With a large percentage of new truck drivers classified as immigrants, there is some concern in the trucking industry that U.S.-VISIT would create additional strain on already congested border crossings if all immigrant and non-citizen truck drivers are asked to scan their fingerprints when they enter the U.S.

But Mocny told Today’s Trucking that those drivers are already stopped to have their credentials checked at a secondary inspection station. The only difference, he insisted, is they will have to have their fingerprints scanned, which he says would only take 15 to 30 seconds to be processed.

Echoing the opinions of several Canadian trucking associations, Mocny urged any carrier or driver concerned with the U.S.-VISIT process to register for the bilateral FAST border clearance program instead. FAST-approved drivers are exempted from U.S.-VISIT because they’ve already undergone all the necessary background and biometric checks, Mocny said.