Overstaying Their Welcome: National Security Risks Posed By Visa Overstays
Fourteen years after the attack on September 11th, one of the few unfilled recommendations of the 9/11 Commission is the failure of DHS to establish a viable biometric exit system. The 9/11 Commission called the creation of an entry-exit system “an essential investment in our national security,” because at least four of the 9/11 hijackers had either overstayed, or violated the terms of their visa. Since then there have been several other high-profile terrorist plots who have come into the country and overstayed their welcome. This hearing will examine the national security implications of the failure to establish a functional biometric exit tracking system, and ICE’s ability to quickly identify and removal national security and public safety threats.
