DHS WILL START SCREENING VISITORS AT FOREIGN AIRPORTS
by Michael J. Gurfinkel, Esq.

An article in Government Executive Magazine reports that the US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) will start sending teams of inspectors to airports abroad to screen visitors seeking to come to the U.S. by plane. What this means is that soon there will be US immigration officials at foreign airports, possibly even at Ninoy Aquino Int’l Airport (NAIA) in Manila, who will screen U.S. bound passengers prior to boarding their flights to the U.S.

According to Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner, the CPB will start testing an immigration security initiative in Poland’s Warsaw International Airport. There will be a team of up to seven specially trained inspectors, whose primary mission will be anti-terrorism, such as preventing travelers who are on the US terrorist “watch list” from flying to the U.S. However, the inspection team will also perform more traditional roles, such as detecting fake travel documents.

This immigration security initiative is based on the theory that if a potential terrorist (or someone seeking to travel on fake documents) is seeking to enter the U.S., it is far better to catch them before they board a commercial airline, than after they arrive in America. The CPB then hopes to expand this program to other foreign airports.

While there is no date set as when U.S. inspectors may be placed in NAIA, this new development should be a warning to Filipinos traveling to the U.S. to be all the more careful and sure that their documents are real and in proper order.

There have been many occasions when people have attempted to use a photo substituted passport, and enter the U.S. as a visitor under an assumed name. Many of these people were able to board the plane, and find their way to America. It was only at the U.S. port of entry that they would be inspected, and their fake documents might be detected.

With this new initiative, these people with fake document will be discovered by U.S. Immigration Officials at the foreign country, and may not even be able to leave their home country.

That is why it is all the more important that if somebody truly wants to visit (or immigrate) to America, that they do it the legal way, so that they will be able to visit or obtain their visas without any problems, and be able to get on the plane.

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