--- http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/07/politics/07IMMI.html Progress Seen in Border Tests of ID System By JENNIFER 8. LEE NOGALES, Ariz., Feb. 6 — Immigration officials say they are moving rapidly to meet a congressionally mandated deadline for a sophisticated new identification system to be in use at its 100 most porous entry points over the next year. The system will use ID cards encrypted with digital photos, signatures, biographical information and fingerprints that have been issued by the State Department and the Immigration and Naturalization Service by the millions over the last five years. Until recently, the immigration service has not had the machines to read the information on the cards — a shortcoming that came to light in Congressional hearings into the 2001 terror attacks. The machines cost $8,500 each. For two months the border agency has been testing 30 machines here and at two other crossing points, in Texas and California, and at three airports. The initial results seemed promising, officials say. For example, they say the machines were not fooled by people with similar appearances, catching 150 people, including a woman using her twin sister's card. "Statistically, it's a very eye-opening number," said Robert Mocny, director of the immigration service's entry-exit program office. [...] But the improved identity system will be the largest program using machines to compare detailed measurements of features like fingerprints and facial structure, and would offer a new level of security for the borders, the officials said. [...] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ Recent CNET News.com articles: http://news.search.com/search?q\clan -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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