DHS exec wants global tracking system

WASHINGTON, April 26 (UPI) -- A senior Department of Homeland Security official has called for a global ID tracking system.

The head of the department's visitor tracking program on Tuesday called for the creation of a "global ID management system" to make travel easier while enhancing security, GovExec.com reported.

Jim Williams, director of the US VISIT program within the Department of Homeland Security, told attendees of the National Business Travel Association's annual meeting that he wanted to join forces with several Department of Homeland Security agencies to develop a global identification system that would cut wait times, reduce government fees for travelers, fight illegal immigration and, perhaps paramount, better defend nations from terrorists.

The US VISIT chief, who already oversees identity inquiries for nearly every visitor who enters the United States, said a worldwide identification system would better link nations in the fight against terrorism. However, he did not specify when, or how, the proposed global program would be implemented, GovExec.com said.

Williams suggested that a biometrics identification system might be used to better track travelers to the United States. A similar program is being tested in Britain, where such physical characteristics as fingerprints or iris scans are being tied to national identification cards. Proponents say it can cut the odds of success for immigration fraud.

In his speech, Williams said an American version of the global ID plan would likely require the cooperation of US VISIT, the Customs and Border Protection bureau, the Transportation Safety Administration and U.S. Customs and Immigration Services, all under the Department of Homeland Security umbrella.

A TSA official declined to comment, saying the agency has no knowledge of the proposed plan. CBP and CIS could not be reached for comment.