Homeland Security

DATE=1/22/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=U-S / IMMIGRATION SCRUTINY (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-312159

BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE

DATELINE=MIAMI

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: New figures from the Department of Homeland Security indicate the number of people being sent for secondary screening at U-S border entry points has increased dramatically over the past two years. V-O-A's Jim Teeple reports from our Miami bureau officials say the increased numbers are the result of heightened security and improved technology.

TEXT: The number of people being sent for secondary screening at U-S border entry points jumped by 500 thousand between 2002 and 2003.

Zachary Mann, a senior special agent and spokesman for U-S Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security, says Customs and Border Patrol agents are being much more cautious about who enters the United States following the September 11th terrorist attacks.

/// MANN ACTUALITY ///

What happened is that after the attacks we decided we needed to take a closer look at our borders, so we have had an increase in the scrutiny of people and cargo crossing those borders.

/// END ACTUALITY ///

Mr. Mann says much of the increased scrutiny is taking place at land crossing points along the U-S-Canada border, where there was little scrutiny before the September 11th attacks. He also says while Border

Patrol and Customs agents still look for drug smugglers and visa violators, their priorities before September 11th, their main preoccupation now is to prevent terrorists or terrorist-related materials from entering the U-S.

Mr. Mann says much of the reason for the increase in secondary screening is that customs officers have a limited amount of time to process visitors at their first point of contact, so secondary screening becomes

necessary.

/// 2nd MANN ACTUALITY ///

When you come across the border whether it is an airport, a seaport or a land border crossing, you go through a primary line, which is where you present your documents. You are asked some questions by the first

officer you see. Based on those responses you maybe someone that we want to look at more closely or talk to. That does not necessarily mean that there is something wrong, it is just that we want to get a better picture and we have a very limited amount of time to process a

large amount of people. /// OPTIONAL ACTUALITY //// So what we do is send you to a secondary booth where someone will talk to you and find out a little bit more about you and then based on what happens there if you are a criminal wanted by law enforcement you will be arrested, or if it turns out it was just a misunderstanding, you will probably be set free and to about your way. There is a wide variety of things that can happen it is a case by case scenario. /// END OPTIONAL ACTUALITY ///

//// END ACTUALITY ///

Customs officials also say they have improved data bases that now hold many more names of suspected criminals and terrorists, which has also led to more people being sent for secondary inspections and interviews.

The September 11th terrorist attacks exposed flaws in the screening of visitors to the United States. Two of the 19 hijackers who carried out the attacks were admitted to the U-S despite undergoing secondary

screening for visa violations.

Earlier this month U-S immigration authorities further tightened security by requiring foreign visitors at border entry points to be photographed and fingerprinted when they enter the United States. Customs and immigration officials say the process takes less than a

minute, and so far the program has not resulted in substantial delays for visitors. (Signed)

NEB/JLT/KBK/RH