	Inspecting Travelers at Ports of Entry

CBP’s ability to inspect travelers at our nation’s ports of entry has been  hampered by weaknesses in travel inspection procedures, inadequate  physical infrastructure, and lack of staff at the air, land, and sea ports of  entry. DHS plans to move forward  to deploy technology to implement WHTI at land ports of entry, and staff  and train officers to use it. In mid-2006, CBP reviewed videotapes from about  150 large and small ports of entry and, according to CBP officials,  determined that while CBP officers carried out thorough traveler  inspections in many instances, they also identified numerous instances  where traveler inspections at land ports of entry were weak in that they  did not determine the citizenship and admissibility of travelers entering  the country as required by law, such as officers not stopping vehicles for  inspection and pedestrians crossing the border without any visual or  verbal contact from a CBP officer despite operating procedures that  required officers to do so. DHS said it is taking  steps to address our recommendations. To help provide better assurance that  border officials have the tools and resources to establish that people are  who they say they are, section 7209 of the Intelligence Reform and  Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, as amended, requires the Secretary of  Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to develop  and implement a plan that requires a passport or other document or  combination of documents that the Secretary of Homeland Security deems  sufficient to show identity and citizenship for U.S. citizens and citizens of  Bermuda, Canada, and Mexico when entering the United States from  certain countries in North, Central, or South America. DHS has developed general strategies for implementing WHTI—including  staffing and training. U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT)

Another major initiative underway at the ports of entry is a program  designed to collect, maintain, and share data on selected foreign nationals  entering and exiting the United States at air, sea, and land ports of entry,  called the US-VISIT Program. As of October 2007, after investing about $1.5 billion since 2003, DHS has  delivered essentially one-half of US-VISIT, meaning that biometrically  enabled entry capabilities are operating at more than 300 air, sea, and land  ports of entry, but comparable operational exit capabilities are not. Deployment of fencing  along the southwest border is on schedule, but meeting CBP’s December  2008 goal to deploy 370 miles of pedestrian and 300 miles of vehicle  fencing will be challenging because of factors that include difficulties  acquiring rights to border land and an inability to estimate costs for  installation. The Secure Border Initiative

In November 2005, DHS announced the launch of SBI aimed at securing  U.S. borders and reducing illegal immigration. In February 2008, we testified that DHS had announced its final  acceptance of Project 28, a $20.6 million project to secure 28 miles along  the southwest border, and was gathering lessons learned to inform future  border security technology development. In addition, SBI  program office officials are unable to estimate the total cost of pedestrian  and vehicle fencing because of various factors that are not yet known,  such as the type of terrain where the fencing is to be constructed, the  materials to be used, and the cost to acquire the land. Border Patrol

In addition to technological and infrastructure improvements along the  border, the Border Patrol has experienced an unprecedented growth in the  number of its agents. Screening of International Travelers Before They Arrive in the United States

Because citizens of other countries seeking to enter the United States on a  temporary basis generally must apply for and obtain a nonimmigrant visa,  the visa process is important to homeland security. Before September 11, U.S. visa operations focused primarily  on illegal immigration concerns—whether applicants sought to reside and  work illegally in the country. New policies and  programs have since been implemented to enhance visa security, improve  applicant screening, provide counterterrorism training to consular officials  who administer the visa process overseas, and help prevent the fraudulent  use of visas for those seeking to gain entry to the country. The Visa Waiver Program allows nationals from 27 countries to travel to  the United States for 90 days or less for business and tourism purposes  without first having to obtain a visa. The program’s purpose is to  facilitate international travel for millions of people each year and promote  the effective use of government resources. DHS is in the process of implementing these  recommendations and we plan to report later this year on the  department’s progress. DHS has not yet announced when or how it  will roll out the ETA system. DHS Pilot on the Immigration Advisory Program

DHS has also has begun to pilot the Immigration Advisory Program (IAP),  which is designed to provide additional scrutiny to passengers and their  travel documents at foreign airports prior to their departure for the United  States. CBP has reported several successes through the IAP pilot. CBP stated that the  plan has not yet been finalized. Concluding Remarks

CBP has made progress in taking actions to secure our nation’s borders. It  has enhanced its ability to screen travelers before they arrive in the United  States as well as once they arrive at a port of entry.
Why GAO Did This Study

Since September 11, 2001, the need to secure U.S. borders has increased in importance and attracted greater public and Congressional attention. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has spent billions of dollars to prevent the illegal entry of individuals and contraband between ports of entry--government-designated locations where DHS inspects persons and goods to determine whether they may be lawfully admitted into the country. Yet, while DHS apprehends hundreds of thousands of such individuals each year, several hundreds of thousands more enter the country illegally and undetected. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a component of DHS, is the lead federal agency in charge of securing our nation's borders. This testimony summarizes GAO's work on DHS's efforts on selected border security operations and programs related to (1) inspecting travelers at U.S. ports of entry, (2) detecting individuals attempting to enter the country illegally between ports of entry, and (3) screening of international travelers before they arrive in the United States and challenges remaining in these areas. GAO's observations are based on products issued from May 2006 through February 2008. In prior reports, GAO has recommended various actions to DHS to, among other things, help address weaknesses in the traveler inspection programs and processes, and challenges in training officers to inspect travelers and documents. DHS has generally agreed with our recommendations and has taken various actions to address them.

What GAO Found

CBP has taken actions to improve traveler inspections at U.S. ports of entry, but challenges remain. First, CBP has stressed the importance of effective inspections and trained CBP supervisors and officers in interviewing travelers. Yet, weaknesses in travel inspection procedures and lack of physical infrastructure and staff have hampered CBP's ability to inspect travelers thoroughly and detect fraudulent documents. Second, CBP is implementing an initiative requiring citizens of the United States, Bermuda, Canada, and Mexico to present certain identification documents when entering the United States. As of December 2007, actions taken to meet the initiative's requirements include selecting technology to be used at land ports of entry and developing plans to train officers to use it. Finally, DHS has developed a program to collect, maintain, and share data on selected foreign nationals entering and exiting the country. As of October 2007, the agency has invested more than $1.5 billion on the program over 4 years and biometrically-enabled entry capabilities now operate at more than 300 ports of entry. However, though allocating about $250 million since 2003 to exit-related efforts, DHS has not yet detailed how it will verify when travelers exit the country. In November 2005, DHS announced the launch of a multiyear, multibillion-dollar program aimed at securing U.S. borders and reducing immigration of individuals who enter the United States illegally and undetected between ports of entry. One component of this program, which DHS accepted as complete in February 2008, was an effort to secure 28 miles along the southwest border using, among other means, improved cameras and radars. DHS plans to apply the lessons learned to future projects. Another program component, 370 miles of pedestrian fence and 300 miles of vehicle fence, has not yet been completed and DHS will be challenged to do so by its December 2008 deadline due to various factors, such as acquiring rights to border lands. Additionally, DHS is unable to estimate the total cost of this component because various factors are not yet known such as the type of terrain where the fencing is to be constructed. Finally, CBP has experienced unprecedented growth in the number of its Border Patrol agents. While initial training at the academy is being provided, Border Patrol officials expressed concerns about the agency's ability to provide sufficient field training. To screen international travelers before they arrive in the United States, the federal government has implemented new policies and programs, including enhancing visa security and providing counterterrorism training to overseas consular officials. As GAO previously recommended, DHS needs to better manage risks posed by a program that allows nationals from 27 countries to travel to the United States without a visa for certain durations and purposes. Regarding the prescreening of international passengers bound for the United States, CBP has a pilot program that provides additional scrutiny of passengers and their travel documents at foreign airports prior to their departure. CBP has reported several successes through the pilot but has not yet determined whether to make the program permanent.