DHS issues new travel guidance for foreigners, green card holders
FILE-A TSA agent checks passengers' identity documents at a security checkpoint at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia on October 1, 2025. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Non-U.S. citizens, including immigrants living in America and individuals with green cards, entering and leaving the U.S. will be photographed as part of new travel requirements from the Department of Homeland Security.
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The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) already uses facial recognition technology to verify travelers on flights at airports, but this new policy will make it mandatory at all ports of entry into the United States.
What is the Dept. of Homeland Security’s new travel rule?
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Under the new rule, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is expanding its existing process of photo and data collecting at land, sea, and airport borders, for more oversight on fraudulent travel documents and enhanced security, according to a filing in the Federal Register on Oct. 24.
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The new guidelines are set to take effect on December 26, 2025, and allow U.S. border authorities to photograph non-citizens at any point of departure from the U.S., while other biometric data may be gathered.
Additionally, the new rule permits CBP officers to use facial recognition technology for children under 14 and adults over 79 years old, who are currently exempt from the biometric capture screening process.
The recent technology is also part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to strengthen border controls and deter illegal immigration.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by a Federal Register filing with details on the travel guidance requirements. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.