By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIANS and other non-United States citizens will soon be required to be photographed when entering and leaving the United States, as the Trump administration strengthens measures to combat visa overstays and passport fraud.

The new rule, titled Collection of Biometric Data from Aliens Upon Entry to and Departure from the United States, was announced by the US Department of Homeland Security. Effective December 26, it authorises US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect facial biometrics from all non-citizens at airports, land ports, seaports, and other authorised points of entry and exit.

The rule removes prior exemptions, including those for diplomats and most Canadian visitors.

“It also removes limitations on pilot programmes and expands biometric collection to new transportation modalities, including sea exit, private aircraft, vehicle entry/exit, and pedestrian exit. Public comments related to this rule may be submitted on or before Nov. 26, 2025,” the Department Homeland Security said.

The department has published more than ten Privacy Impact Assessments on all aspects of CBP’s Biometric Entry-Exit programme, covering policies for gathering, storage, analysis, dissemination, retention, and deletion of data.

CBP discards US citizen photos within 12 hours of the identity verification process. Noncitizen photos are enrolled in the DHS Biometric Identity Management System, where they may be retained for up to 75 years.

In October, the international news agency Reuters reported that the US was expanding the use of facial recognition technology to track noncitizens entering and leaving the country to combat visa overstays and passport fraud. The regulation also permits border authorities to use facial recognition for children under 14 and elderly people over 79, groups that were previously exempt.

“The tighter border rules reflect a broader effort by US President Donald Trump to crack down on illegal immigration. While the Republican president has surged resources to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, he has also taken steps to reduce the number of people overstaying their visas,” Reuters said.

The increased use of facial recognition in US airports has raised concerns among privacy advocates about potential overreach and misidentification. A 2024 report by the US Commission on Civil Rights found the technology was more likely to misidentify Black people and other minority groups, according to Reuters.

Some Bahamians have already begun to feel the effects of the new regulations. Abaco pastor and broadcaster Silbert Mills reported yesterday that US authorities photographed Bahamasair passengers before their departure from West Palm Beach to return to Abaco.

One resident said they were waiting to board at Palm Beach International Airport when men dressed in military-style uniforms began taking photos of passengers without asking any questions or requesting names.