Page 141 - Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS)

126 AUTOMATED FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS

Figure 6.1 entry when they apply for admission to the United States. During the enroll-
Tenprint Image ment process, IDENT checks entrants against immigration records and infor-
mation provided by the FBI. All aliens seeking admission at any of the 115
airports or 14 seaports nationwide with non-immigrant visas, regardless of
nationality, will be affected by the first phase of US-VISIT, in which two plain
finger impressions are captured and stored on a separate file at IDENT. By the
end of 2005, US-VISIT will be installed at all land ports of entry.
A situation exists in which the two agencies that have the greatest influence
on identification have systems that do not interoperate seamlessly. If it is impor-
tant to fingerprint a foreign visitor for identification purposes, is it not impor-
tant to collect the same amount of information as required for a teacher?
Collecting only two images produces only 20% of the amount of image infor-
mation that could be collected for later use, particularly for latent print appli-
cations. Even though a change in procedures to maintain the “gold standard”
of ten rolled images, or as a compromise, ten plain impressions, would require
more funding for IAFIS, this investment would provide the interoperability and
security that is missing from the current plans.