The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule, “Collection of Biometric Data From Aliens Upon Entry to and Departure From the United States,” on 27 October 2025 reportedly.
DHS Final Rule Talks About Collection of Biometric Data From Aliens
This latest rule amends DHS regulations as it may “require all aliens to be photographed when entering or exiting the United States, and may require non-exempt aliens to provide other biometrics.”
As per this rule, the lawful permanent residents of the United States (green card holders) will be processed as “aliens.”
Although, the foreign nationals younger than 14 or older than 79 on the date of their admission to the United States, are exempted from this requirement.
Besides this, Canadian citizens who are not required to present a visa or be issued a Form I-94, Arrival/Departure record, when applying for admission to the U.S.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published its final rule last week expanding the use of biometrics at the nation’s borders.
Further it formalized what had been years in the making: a full-scale system to photograph and track every non-citizen who enters or leaves the U.S.
This latest measure takes effect December 26 and authorizes Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to photograph “all aliens” at all ports of entry and departure, and “any other point of departure.”
Biometric Database Storing Fingerprints, Facial Images, and Iris Scans
In addition to this, the records of non-immigrant aliens can be held for up to seventy-five years, lawful permanent residents for fifteen, and U.S. citizens only in short-term transaction logs under DHS retention schedules.
It appears that the breadth of these retention periods has drawn sharp criticism from watchdogs.
A program justified as an entry-exit tool could easily become a long-term tracking system for anyone designated a “non-citizen,” including millions of lawful residents and visa holders, warned by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Similar kinds of concerns were raised by the Center for Democracy & Technology regarding data sharing between CBP, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and intelligence agencies.
In this regard, the DHS now contracts multiple companies to maintain cameras, software, and data storage across ports, each bound by privacy clauses but ultimately dependent on CBP’s oversight.
According to the CBP officials project, full nationwide coverage will take three to five years, citing the need to install infrastructure at hundreds of land and sea crossings.
The success of this program will depend on funding, coordination with state and local port authorities, and technical performance.
