Overview
- Mandatory facial scans will cover airports, land crossings, seaports, private aircraft, vehicles and pedestrian lanes, applying to all ages and including lawful permanent residents.
- U.S. citizens are not required to participate, may opt in, and can instead undergo manual document inspection, with any citizen photos deleted within 12 hours.
- Collected images of non‑citizens will be stored in DHS’s biometric systems (OBIM/IDENT) for up to 75 years and used as confirmation of entry and exit.
- DHS policy allows sharing migrant biometrics with federal partners such as the FBI, the Department of Defense and the State Department, and in specified cases with state and local law enforcement.
- Separately, a Nov. 3 proposal would broaden USCIS biometric requirements to potentially include DNA for some benefit applicants, which could begin in 2026 if finalized, as IDENT already holds records for more than 320 million people.