New US immigration rule: All green card holders and foreigners to be photographed at borders; check details

In a major expansion of its immigration enforcement policy, the Trump administration has introduced new rules mandating biometric data collection for all non-citizens, including green card holders, upon entry and exit from the United States.

The directive, issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday, extends existing biometric protocols to cover every foreign national. Starting December 26, 2025, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin photographing all immigrants and visitors crossing American borders.

Previously, such biometric screening—photographs and fingerprint scans—was limited to certain categories of travelers and visa holders.

However, under the new DHS rule, the exemption that applied to individuals under 14 and over 79 years of age has also been scrapped.

In its filing in the Federal Register, the DHS stated that comprehensive data collection will help address national security risks, identity fraud, and visa overstays.

“Implementing an integrated biometric entry-exit system that compares biometric data collected on arrival and departure helps tackle threats related to terrorism, fraudulent documentation, and overstays,” the DHS noted.

According to officials, CBP agents will use facial comparison technology to verify a traveler’s identity by matching live photographs with data from visa applications and passports.

While the current notification focuses on photographs, the rule also opens the door to expanding the process to include fingerprints and other biometric identifiers in the future.

The DHS insists the policy is aimed at strengthening border security and ensuring compliance with immigration laws. But immigrant rights groups have already raised privacy and discrimination concerns, arguing that such surveillance measures could disproportionately affect lawful residents and travelers.

Part of Trump’s Broader Immigration Crackdown

The move comes amid the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on immigrants since the President’s return to office in 2025. Earlier this year, Trump moved to end birthright citizenship and expanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids nationwide.

In addition, new visa and green card screening rules, including mandatory social media vetting, have resulted in multiple cases of detentions, deportations, and sudden visa cancellations.

The new biometric entry-exit policy marks another step in Trump’s continued push for “maximum enforcement” of immigration laws across the United States.