CBP Pilots Facial Biometric Vehicle Screening at Buffalo-Peace Bridge Border Crossing

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has launched a facial biometric testing program at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry in Buffalo, New York, implementing automated document verification technology for vehicles entering the United States. This expansion follows CBP’s successful deployment of biometric screening across U.S. airports and numerous pedestrian border crossings.

The test program, which will run through March 2025, operates in three dedicated lanes (14, 15, and 16) at the border crossing. The Simplified Arrival-Vehicle Biometric system captures images of vehicle occupants and matches them against existing government records, including passports, visas, and previous border encounters. This marks a significant evolution of the Simplified Arrival program, which until now has primarily focused on pedestrian and airport implementations.

As vehicles approach the designated lanes, the system automatically photographs occupants to verify their identities, replacing traditional manual document checks. CBP indicates the technology will enhance border security by helping agents make more informed decisions about traveler admissibility while preventing the fraudulent use of legitimate travel documents. The system builds upon CBP’s existing biometric infrastructure, which has already processed millions of travelers at various points of entry nationwide.

“The test in Buffalo will give CBP an opportunity to assess how the facial biometric technology performs in a challenging winter environment,” the agency said in a statement. This winter testing is particularly significant as extreme weather conditions have historically posed challenges for biometric systems.

The program includes specific data handling protocols: photos of U.S. citizens are deleted within 12 hours, while images of foreign nationals are transferred and stored securely in Department of Homeland Security systems. These protocols align with CBP’s established privacy guidelines for biometric data management and reflect the agency’s commitment to balancing security with privacy concerns. CBP expects minimal impact on traffic flow at the crossing.

Travelers who prefer not to participate in the biometric verification can use alternative lanes that maintain standard manual document inspection procedures. This opt-out provision maintains consistency with CBP’s existing biometric programs at other border crossings and airports, where alternative screening methods remain available to travelers.

Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

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November 15, 2024 – by Ji-seo Kim