Name: U.S. now mandating photos of non-citizens at all land borders
Uploaded: 2025-12-27T03:42:48.836Z
Duration: 2 min 1 s
Description: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s new rules making it mandatory for non-U.S. citizens, including Canadians, to take part in its facial biometrics program are now in effect — even though full implementation of the program could take years.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s new rules making it mandatory for non-U.S. citizens, including Canadians, to take part in its facial biometrics program are now in effect — even though full implementation of the program could take years.

Ottawa

The United States has implemented a new policy requiring all non-citizens, including Canadians, to participate in a mandatory facial biometrics program at land border crossings. Travellers will now be photographed when entering and leaving the country by any mode of transport, with the Department of Homeland Security stating that these images may be stored for up to 75 years for law enforcement and immigration tracking purposes.

Privacy experts and some travellers have expressed concerns about the long-term storage and potential use of this data, while others are less troubled by the measure. The policy comes amid broader U.S. border security changes, including expanded travel restrictions and proposed requirements for tourists to submit social media history. Officials note that while the rule is now in effect, its full impact remains to be seen as implementation continues.

U.S. now mandating photos of non-citizens at all land borders

A newly implemented U.S. policy is adding another layer of scrutiny for travellers. It is now mandatory for non-U.S. citizens, including Canadians, to take part in a facial biometrics program. Travellers will be subject to photographs when entering and leaving the country by all modes of transport. You're exposing your identity to government and I believe that we should have freedom, our own personal rights to keep our identity to ourselves. Privacy experts are concerned about where those photos could end up. The fewer places where this data resides, the better, because once it's taken, it can be used by other people. The Department of Homeland Security says it can't delete personally identifiable data like photos and only keep a record of entry or exit. It says files can be stored for as long as 75 years for law enforcement and immigration tracking purposes. Canadians are not the only travellers facing new border security measures. Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump expanded the list of countries facing full or partial travel restrictions to 39. The administration is also proposing requiring certain tourists to submit five years of their social media history before entering the country. It's one thing after another. This dual citizen and immigration lawyer says the photo policy could have a chilling effect on cross-border travel at a time when Canada-U.S. relations are already strained and travel to the U.S. has been down for months. With all of these restrictions and the rhetoric, it's just, it's deterring so many people in Canada from entering the U.S., you know, either to shop or just to vacation. Some Canadians, however, say they don't mind being photographed. I mean, it doesn't really bother me given that we're doing nothing wrong. While the new rule is now in effect, officials say implementation could take time, making the true impact unclear for now. Yasmeen Ghaniya, CBC News, Surrey, B.C.

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