BUFFALO, N.Y., (Aug. 30, 2004) — U.S. officials say that plans to photograph and electronically fingerprint foreigners coming into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico are on schedule to take effect on Jan. 1, 2005.

The US-Visit program currently fingerprints and photographs those either with visas or under the visa-waiver program when they arrive at major U.S. airports and seaports. The program has processed about 7 million travellers since January, and has generated more than 500 watch list hits, including immigration violators and alias-using drug dealers, authorities said.

By law, the Department of Homeland Security must expand the program to the 50 busiest land entry points by the end of the year, and to all 165 land ports by the end of 2005.

The visa-waiver program lets citizens from 27 nations deemed to be U.S. allies to enter the country without a visa.

Speaking in Buffalo near the Peace Bridge, the program’s director James Williams said the fingerprints and photos will be checked against databases to verify documents and flag names that that appear on terrorist or law enforcement watch lists.

The department is also in the process of developing an exit-tracking strategy for land borders, Williams told media.

The Peace Bridge alone processes more than 6,000 commercial trucks daily and more than $20 billion in trade annually.

— from Associated Press