by Julie Donahue

Created on: May 25, 2007

The US has been using biometrics for immigration for some time now. All LEGAL immigrants and visitors to this country must have passports that record their personal biometric data. The question of using biometrics to discourage illegal immigration is not really whether biometrics should be used on foreign nationals entering the US but rather whether US Citizens should have biometric data recorded on their identity cards.

In my mind the answer is yes. While I am certain that there will be cries of outrage from the personal liberties crowd (of which I am normally a member), the fact is we all have ID cards (driver's license, credit card, etc) in our wallets that record some level of personal data. Embedded in those magnetic strips that always seem to wear down long before the expiration date on the card, is data that tells who you are, what you owe, what you pay, etc. If our licenses (or a national ID card) contained our biometric data it would be far more difficult for minors to use an older brothers license to by alcohol or get into a club. If our credit cards contained our biometric data it would be far more difficult for a pickpocket to steal our savings and identity.

As far as illegal immigration is concerned, would the use of biometrics discourage illegal immigration. Frankly nothing will discourage people from poor countries from wanting to come to the United States for the opportunities our country offers. However, wider spread use of biometrics will make it much harder to buy a green card or Social Security card on the street (something I assure happens daily in New York city and Washington DC). Without documents that appear legal, it is much more difficult to find work. Despite what the alarmists will say, work is what the majority of illegal immigrants are after. If your ID card is embedded with your fingerprints and employers can (as our border agents can) swipe the card through a machine and verify its authenticity with your fingerprint, it will be significantly more difficult to get work using forged or stolen documents.

Biometrics won't discourage the desire to come here, but it will make it more difficult to come here and thrive.

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