DHS final rule broadens biometric data for noncitizens entry and exit

The Department of Homeland Security will require photographs and expanded biometric data collection from all noncitizens entering and leaving the United States under a final rule published in the Federal Register on Oct. 27. The regulation, scheduled to take effect on Dec. 26, 2025, directs U.S. Customs and Border Protection to capture photos at airports, seaports, land ports and other authorized points of entry and departure and authorizes the collection of additional biometrics, such as fingerprints or DNA, in some cases.

DHS and CBP said the measure is intended to strengthen national security, reduce passport fraud and prevent visa overstays by creating an integrated, automated entry and exit system that matches biographic records and biometrics. In its Federal Register filing CBP said the system will "implement an integrated, automated entry and exit data system to match records, including biographic data and biometrics, of aliens entering and departing the United States." The agency already uses facial comparison technology in some commercial air travel programs and has collected biometric data from certain noncitizens on arrival since 2004. Requiring comparable data on...