All US Border Crossings Now Require A 'Terrorist Risk Profile'

conlaw writes with a somewhat intimidating Washington Post article. "The federal government disclosed details yesterday of a border-security program to screen all people who enter and leave the United States, create a terrorism risk profile of each individual and retain that information for up to 40 years ... The risk assessment is created by analysts at the National Targeting Center, a high-tech facility opened in November 2001 and now run by Customs and Border Protection. In a round-the-clock operation, targeters match names against terrorist watch lists and a host of other data to determine whether a person's background or behavior indicates a terrorist threat, a risk to border security or the potential for illegal activity. They also assess cargo."

So

[Dunbal]

Obviously this only applies to people crossing the border LEGALLY. People who for whatever reason cross the border illegally will never get a "terrorist profile". Well done, America, well done. Who advised you on this, the RIAA/MPAA/copy protection industry?

Thirteen months, actually.

[Elyscape]

This was posted by the Washington, er, Post on November 3, 2006. Whoops.

Yet another reason...

[HungSoLow]

.. to not step foot in the US.

Re:Awesome!

[One Childish N00b]

Hey, politicians listen up... Want my vote? Put a fucking stop to this waste of time, energy and money. Thanks.

They don't want your vote, they want the votes of the ignorant masses that think knee-jerk idiocy like this will actually achieve something, because there's more of them than there are of you.

Your (and our) only option is to educate people, tell the general public what's going on, because the longer the masses stay ignorant, the longer the politicians will keep getting away with things like this, because - as sad as this sounds - people will genuinely think this is a good idea.

Travel statistics

[kylegordon]

It will be interesting to see how the figures change in the coming years, as border security gets worse (ie, more restrictive), whilst the yankee dinar gets lower and lower, thus making it more appealing to holiday makers.
There's already some revealing figures for 2006 [doc.gov] and 2007 [doc.gov]. Something to keep an eye on for sure.

Re:Awesome!

[iminplaya]

The primaries haven't even started yet. And there is a certain candidate from Ohio [dennis4president.com] that may try to roll it back. He is the ONLY candidate to have voted against the Patriot Act. In theory there's still hope. In practice? Well, that's different. Most people will vote to keep things the way they are out of fear, greed, or some other self interest. Here's hoping for an epiphany.

Where's the damn reset button?

Kind of Embarrassed

[explosivejared]

Considering this is a year old (feel ashamed that I overlooked the date when I read the article), I apologize for overreacting. Age or no age, I'm still not happy about this policy, but the date of the article does certainly take some of the sting out. I don't buy into the whole idea of editors trolling, so I'm just going to attribute this to a mistake. I wish I could tone my earlier comment down, but I can't. I apologize and I hope Zonk feels sorry, too considering he also postedthis [slashdot.org].

However, just as an update to the situation, the Automated Targeting System [wikipedia.org] is still operating. I disagree with it, and I think it is a bad idea. It's just it's already had it's place on slashdot.

Re:Soviet Vespucciland

[spikedvodka]

DDR: Deutsche Demokratische Republik ... The German Democratic Republic... East Germany

Re:So

[Bartab]

But if someone is discovered to have snuck in they get +100 which is over the limit and can be immediately arrested or deported or something. It's all speculation but it's possible.

Wholly Clueless Batman!

Somebody who is "discovered to have snuck in" can already be "immediately arrested or deported or something."

Why daddy? Because it's AGAINST THE LAW TO SNEAK IN.

Re:So

[QuickFox]

They already ask this, and several other similar questions. All you US citizens can sleep safe with the comforting knowledge that evil people have to declare their evilness on the official visa application form [state.gov]:

• Have you ever been arrested or convicted for any offense or crime, even though subject of a pardon, amnesty or other similar legal action? Have you ever unlawfully distributed or sold a controlled substance(drug), or been a prostitute or procurer for prostitutes? [ ] Yes [ ] No
  
• Have you ever been refused admission to the U.S., or been the subject of a deportation hearing or sought to obtain or assist others to obtain a visa, entry into the U.S., or any other U.S. immigration benefit by fraud or willful misrepresentation or other unlawful means? Have you attended a U.S. public elementary school on student (F) status or a public secondary school after November 30, 1996 without reimbursing the school? [ ] Yes [ ] No
  
• Do you seek to enter the United States to engage in export control violations, subversive or terrorist activities, or any other unlawful purpose? Are you a member or representative of a terrorist organization as currently designated by the U.S. Secretary of State? Have you ever participated in persecutions directed by the Nazi government of Germany; or have you ever participated in genocide? [ ] Yes [ ] No
  
• Have you ever violated the terms of a U.S. visa, or been unlawfully present in, or deported from, the United States? [ ] Yes [ ] No
  
• Have you ever withheld custody of a U.S. citizen child outside the United States from a person granted legal custody by a U.S. court, voted in the United States in violation of any law or regulation, or renounced U.S. citizenship for the purpose of avoiding taxation? [ ] Yes [ ] No
  
• Have you ever been afflicted with a communicable disease of public health significance or a dangerous physical or mental disorder, or ever been a drug abuser or addict? [ ] Yes [ ] No
  

Re:So

[Pantero Blanco]

At least three of the hijackers were here illegally, not because of the way they entered but because they didn't leave or renew their visas when they were supposed to.

The GP post didn't say anything about Mexicans; he just pointed out that this plan would be ineffective against someone who entered the country illegally. Being Mexican isn't a requirement for that, though it seems to help.

Re:Ok; but where's my luggage?

[loraksus]

Actually, if you pack a firearm in with your luggage and declare it, your luggage gets the white glove treatment the entire route. A suitcase w/ a firearm does not get lost.

Re:Awesome!

[CoolMoDee]

You should also mark Japan off your list of places to go too - as of last month all foreigners (except a select few permanent residents I believe) now get finger printed upon arrival. In Japan's case it is not wanting terrorists (of course) but also making it much more difficult to make get in with fake paperwork. More than once anyways.

Re:So

[S.O.B.]

Uh, no. None of the 9/11 hijackers entered the U.S. via Canada. Here is a Washington Post [washingtonpost.com] article that discusses this myth.

Re:So

[adolf]

A link [youtube.com] to the scene in question, for the uninitiated.

Re:plenty of people come in that way, too

[jotok]

There has to be some effort to manage risks beforehand, though, if only because history teaches that unsupervised mobs inevitably descend into immorality.

As an example, we have higher energy prices (which lead to higher prices on everything) because we have to regulate oil and coal companies because, if we do not force them to do so, they will pollute (and lie about it). Your average consumer is at a severe disadvantage because he has little to no access to information about the activities of these companies. So there needs to be an impartial and empowered body to enforce laws that exist for the good of the people, which means you need a government agency to do it.

Of course, there are some problems with this approach...your duly-appointed government agency also has to be transparent or you have only shifted the problem from the oil company to the agency. They also have to be free from corruption or else they are worse than useless.

The thing is, I would prefer to have a semi-corrupt and less-than-trustworthy government agency, since they are on some level accountable to the people. It only requires "the people" to be politically active, and to care about things like "their future" and "breathing clean air." You KNOW the company is going to be immoral, but there's nothing you can do about it. People need to stop expecting the government to run on rails, it needs constant tuning and pruning.

Re:So much for ever visting the US again...

[xtracto]

Uh, yah. Try going to a number of so-called 'free' countries in Europe, like say, Germany. Or France. Or Great Britain.
You think they don't collect information about you, your purpose in visiting, your destination, etc, for future reference? Do you think they destroy that information once they're 'done with it'? Where did this illusion that you can update/correct/view any of this information comes from? What kind of idiotic self-important ignorant prick seriously thinks that he has any chance of doing so?

Hey! I travelled throuh Euorope last summer, where I visited (among other places) Germany, Swiss and Czech Republic. To my surprise, while I was travelling by bus or train, each time we crossed the border of a country a guy just looked at my passport and put a stamp. That was ALL. Nothing really fancy. Even more, while crossing I think between Bern and Paris we did not got a stamp (from the paris in nor Swiss out).

The funny thing was that nobody of the other countries (France, Spain, Netherlands) gave a shit about it, but it was until we returned to the UK where the immigration officer asked us why didn't we had the respective stamps!!

I am currently living in the UK but I am a scary Mexican invader... of course I am studying here in the UK. But I expected such behaviour from the UK because they are very much the dog of the USA.

So no, you are wrong. It is only your country which is fucked up. I am sorry, but I am mostly sorry because I can see that it had washed up your brain and it is sad. But at the same time it is funny. I have always found funnily amazing to watch gringos fight against *everyone* else deffending their point, when *everyone* else is telling them that their are wrong and showing them the reasons and proofs... but hey, you keep believing whateveryou want. Your country is the one which is going to implode. As I have always said, no need to attack the USA, it is going to implode by itself. It is just a matter of time =o).