Facial Biometrics To Be Used On Travelers Entering U.S. At LAX

LOS ANGELES, CA — Travelers entering the United states at Los Angeles International Airport will be subject to facial biometrics, technology hailed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials for streamlining the screening process. The agency announced the program called Simplified Arrival Thursday.

With facial-recognition technology, the screening process will be automated, eliminating the need for contact between officers and travelers and other documents, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

CBP officials said passengers can be screened quickly, and the lack of contact is especially helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Los Angeles World Airports CEO Justin Erbacci said this will significantly reduce wait times for international travelers arriving at LAX.

"This new Simplified Arrivals process will play a big role in shaping visitors' first impressions of LAX and reassure Southern California residents that their airport is coming back stronger than ever," Erbacci said.

This is how it will work: Passengers will walk through a customs booth where their picture will be taken and compared to images in Department of Homeland Security databases. The whole process takes just seconds. Passengers will then walk to the Global Entry kiosks to verify their photo, hand a receipt to the CBP officer and exit the airport.

New photos of U.S. citizens will be deleted within 12 hours. However, photos of most foreign nationals will be stored in a secure DHS system, according to LaFonda Sutton-Burke, the CBP port director at LAX.

Travelers uncomfortable with the technology will be allowed to opt out. They would have to notify a CBP officer as they approach the primary inspection point. Then they would be required to present a valid travel document for inspection by a CBP officer and they will be processed consistent with existing requirements for admission into the U.S., she said.

"This system has ... honestly, it simplifies the process a lot for us," said Julie Alvarez, a CBP officer at LAX. "It's efficient not only for the officer, but for the passenger. In the past, the passenger would have to go through series of steps in order to be able to finally back to the airport," and Simplified Arrival reduces that to one step.

"Simplified Arrival is a modern, efficient and intuitive process that delivers a seamless experience for travelers arriving in the United States," said Diane Sabatino, the CBP deputy executive assistant commissioner for the Office of Field Operations.

"CBP is using an accurate, reliable technology to enhance security and facilitate lawful travel while protecting travelers' privacy."

Simplified Arrival went online Monday at LAX, and CBP officials said they have received positive responses from travelers so far. The technology was also debuted earlier in October at airports in San Francisco and San Jose.

Since first using facial biometric technology in 2018, CBP stated it has screened more than 54 million international travelers and has assisted in the apprehension of more than 300 imposters.

City News Service