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Big Picture

Big Picture

The Coast Guard cutter Key Biscayne keeps a watchful eye over Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to ensure migrants aren't taking to the seas in an attempt to reach the United States illegally. In November 2006, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security started a pilot program to collect biometric information from illegal migrants attempting entry into U.S. territory through the Mona Passage, the body of water between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The Coast Guard compares digital fingerprints and photographs of illegal migrants against the US-VISIT database, which includes information about wanted criminals, immigration violators and those who previously encountered government authorities.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard