Normally, green card holders can expect the same level of courtesy at the airports as their American citizen counterparts.  After all, they have gone through numerous security checks and are deemed by the US government as not a threat to its citizens.  The final step after a green card is actual citizenship, which requires sending in more money, signing some forms, taking photos again, and a last FBI check.

Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that, by the time you obtain your green card, you are not a threat to the country or its people and are, simply, just a normal person who wants to emigrate, live, and work in the USA.  Until now.

Millions of green card holders will be fingerprinted and photographed every time they enter the United States as part of an expansion of a controversial biometric program, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday.

The expansion of the US-VISIT program to permanent residents–also known as green card holders–takes effect on January 18, 2009. At the moment, the program’s biometric requirements apply to foreign citizens with a non-immigrant visa or those traveling as part of the so-called Visa Waiver program.

This idiotic program began as an excuse to fingerprint those from countries who require a visa to visit the USA.  Americans thought, “Fair enough.  The visa already says we don’t trust you, so the fingerprinting says we don’t trust you more.”  Then, the program was expanded to anyone who travels to America.  This includes our friends and allies who aren’t required to obtain a visa to visit us, as well as anyone who transits through America.  Now, the government wants to expand it further to permanent residents who, quite possibly, will make that final step to citizenship.

It’s just our way of saying, “Fuck you.  We don’t trust anyone except ourselves.”  That is, until a year or two from now when they start phasing in the fingerprinting of American citizens as well.  I wonder if anyone will get off their asses then and fight against having their fingerprints from being stolen.  I highly doubt it because the masses will be too fat to get off the couch and interrupt their precious [insert garbage TV show name] to do anything about it.  These same people will probably never leave the country so they won’t care either.

“Expanding enrollment in US-VISIT is a positive step forward in a process designed to further improve public safety and national security while ensuring the integrity of the immigration system,” the DHS said in a statement. “Linking a person’s biometric information to his or her travel documents reduces the risk that a traveler’s identity or documents could be intentionally misused by someone attempting to gain entry into the United States.”

If I am a terrorist and want into the USA to cause destruction, I will probably come here legally as a tourist or a student and you will never know.  This system is another form of control and people are simply lining up and handing over their prints with no complaints.  If I were a terrorist and couldn’t get into the country legally, I’d simply fly to Canada or Mexico and walk over the border.

The program was implemented in 2003, but a report (PDF) released by the Government Accountability Office this month details the shortcomings of the program, noting that “program planning and execution limitations and weaknesses…confront DHS in its quest to deliver US-VISIT capabilities and value in a timely and cost-effective manner.” The report said the DHS has not taken action to address some of the program’s risks, even though they have been known for years.

So, they already can’t do their jobs properly, but we’re supposed to give them even more information to bog the system down?  Where does that make sense?  The fact is, green card holders are already forced to give up their fingerprints in order to pass background checks so that they can stay in the country.  If they were such a threat, they would never have received a green card.  They would have been arrested and shipped back where they came from.

The Department of Homeland Security has not announced any plans to fingerprint U.S. citizens at the border.

Not yet they haven’t.  Give them time.  This is their goal.  And they will reach it.  They will continue to discriminate and harass those that follow the law, while ignoring the ones who violate it every day by being here illegally.

Green card holders have contributed to American society.  They have jumped through all the hoops required of the government.  Many have been here longer than I have been alive.  If they are deemed worthy of receiving a green card, then we should treat them as we would any citizen and stop alienating those that actually want to live and work here.