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The Homeland Security Department faces major challenges tracking whether foreign visitors leave the United States, witnesses told members of the House Homeland Security Committee at a hearing Tuesday.

The difficulties are particularly acute for visitors departing through land exits, said Richard Stana, director of homeland security issues at the Government Accountability Office. "Interstate highways may have to be rerouted" to verify land exits, he said.

The effort is part of the US VISIT program to track entrances and exits to the United States -- the latter of which have proved more difficult. At land exits, the process of verifying biometric data has the potential to create major traffic backups.

Stana said airports and seaports likely have sufficient infrastructure in place to track departures.

Robert Mocny, who serves as US VISIT's acting director, told the committee that DHS will be ready to verify exits by air and sea this year. But it could take up to five years to install biometric traveler exit verification equipment at land ports, he said.

"We're going to wait for the technology to catch up to us," Mocny said. "The exit portion is something we have to work on." There is no target date for when that part of the program will be finished.

According to Stana, the ground-based exit verification component of the US VISIT program is nowhere near completion. Of the pilot programs the agency has conducted, "none... was particularly effective," he said.

Mocny emphasized that many phases of the program have been completed.

But lawmakers were still critical.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the committee, said US VISIT directors "shifted... the intent of the program" and "lowered the status." He also expressed disapproval that the program has only an acting director.

"You need to put people in place to get the job done," Thompson said.

COMMENTS

• I have lived on the border in El Paso 21 years. "Dropping off an I-94 upon departure" is not realistic. There are typically 30 minute waits to get in and no exit booths, sufficient parking, or staff to accept I-94s upon departure. DHS does not have exit booths. In addition, the current process to mail in an I-94 to London, KY for recording does not assure that any actual departure date is recorded. Instead, you are lucky to get data entry of date of receipt of the document. If we accept AR-11s as to an address change, why not allow electronic reporting of departure - yea I know you won't see them physically, but you sure have no idea of the accuracy of the address either. Kathleen Campbell Walker Posted June 20, 2007 7:29 AM
• The way to fix this problem is simple. The undocumented aliens shouldn't be a concern as they don't have an I-94. The State Department in concert with DHS passes regulations that it would be mandatory to drop off their I-94 at departure. If there is no record of their departure then they don't get another visa! So what they have to wait a few minutes in line, God forbid. Have an access for those that do not have I-94s to drop off, which would be similar to your express lines at the grocery store. Put the burden on those that have something to loose, the alien. Coach Posted March 23, 2007 9:19 AM
• What's surprising about this? Nothing! The same problem(s) persist with no resolution in sight. Part of the problem may be attributable to admitting a large number of these mopes into the country in the first place. Half of these people apply for visas at the U.S. Consulates in their respective countries using bogus excuses and counterfeit supporting documentation that my second grader could see through. The problem has to be addressed at its source; not when it makes its way in and infects the host. GovExec.com reader Posted March 21, 2007 9:10 AM