House Intelligence Panel Urges Biometric Border Controls to Prevent Terrorism

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, September 1, 2026

The House Intelligence Committee has recommended adopting biometric border control booths to improve tracking and verification of foreign nationals entering and leaving the U.S., addressing current gaps especially at land borders and in outbound airport screening. This move seeks to fulfill longstanding 9/11 Commission goals aimed at enhancing national security by replacing unreliable document checks with automated biometric identification systems.

The House Intelligence Committee has called for the implementation of biometric border control booths similar to those used in Europe, aimed at enhancing security measures on foreigners entering and departing the United States. The recommendation was detailed in a 66-page report prepared by Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) as part of efforts to advance the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

The report emphasizes the need for foreign nationals to be processed through control booths at points of entry and exit, allowing authorities to track individuals’ presence in the country, their duration of stay, reasons for visiting, and their departure times. The committee particularly highlighted vulnerabilities at land borders, where current systems lack robust facial scanning capabilities, and noted that outbound passengers at airports are not routinely subjected to facial recognition scans, complicating efforts to confirm departures.

The 9/11 Commission, in its 2004 report, had recommended the rapid development of a biometric entry-exit system designed to enhance security while expediting travel for qualified individuals. However, progress toward this goal has been slow, the committee noted. The report recalls that several of the September 11 hijackers used fake or altered passports, underscoring the limitations of document-based identification and the advantages biometric data—such as facial images, fingerprints, and iris scans—offer in establishing reliable identities.

“The current system fails to sufficiently allow for effective identification and removal of foreign terrorist or intelligence operatives,” the report states. It argues that without a fully automated biometric system, efforts to counter potential threats are hampered in the modern security environment.

The report provides an update on recent regulatory changes. In October 2025, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) adjusted its regulations to permit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to require photographs from all noncitizens upon their arrival and departure. Prior to this, biometric exit pilot programs had been limited to 15 air and sea ports. Despite these steps, the report notes that a comprehensive biometric exit system has not yet been fully operational at any type of border crossing.

Historically, implementing exit biometric systems has been challenging, and the United States remains without a fully deployed, automated biometric screening process for departures. The DHS did not respond to requests for comment regarding the committee’s recommendations or the current status of biometric controls.

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