Thank you very much, President Trump, for appointing Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)! I look forward to future news on the abolition of irrelevant federal government agencies and an elimination of redundant bureaucrats in the required agencies.
I believe the best place for Americans to experience federal government efficiency firsthand is at the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) immigration inspection, and security checkpoints at U.S. airports. I propose the following features to make these checkpoints quick, efficient, and stress-free for air travelers entering into and flying within the United States:
CBP Immigration Inspection Checkpoint
- Have U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and Advance Parole card holders go through automated immigration clearance system gates. When they step up to a gate, the automated gate will have a Graphical User Interface (GUI) screen that will prompt them to scan their passport and fingerprint, and take a facial snapshot. The GUI will also prompt them to redo the process for spouses, children, and other accompanying family members. Once the process is complete, then the gate will open. Some gates will be wide for large families, kids on strollers, and wheelchaired passengers while some gates will be narrow for one to two adult travelers. The gates will also have a help button to call a CBP officer to help if they encounter any issues or require help with the prompts. This automated immigration inspection is very similar to the self-checkout at supermarkets today. Incheon International Airport in South Korea has launched their Smart Entry Service automated immigration inspection system in 2018 and it has worked very well for Korean citizens and permanent residents. Singapore did the same at Changi International Airport.
South Korean Automated Immigration Clearance Service
Automated immigration service opens for non-Koreans residents
Japan, South Korea travellers to enjoy automated immigration clearance in Singapore
-
Allocate the remaining CBP officers to manning and operating the booths for foreign visitors, and foreign passport holders with visas issued by U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. That will result in more open and operating booths that will scan passports, and take facial photos and fingerprints for foreign arrivals, which in turn will make the line go faster. Have sliding glass gates in front of these booths to prevent passengers from encroaching upon the booth while the CBP officer is servicing a passenger or a family of passengers.
-
For the U.S. arrival forms for foreign travelers, and customs declaration form, have the flight attendants pass out the paper forms on the plane before it lands. If no forms are available on the flight, place table stations with those forms and pens available between the gates and CBP checkpoint. It is more efficient to have arriving travelers fill out the customs declaration form prior to crossing the CBP checkpoint, and pass it to the customs officer after claiming baggage rather than answer the questions on the automated gate GUI screen.
Airport Security Checkpoint After TSA is Abolished and Replaced with Private Security Contractors
- Having security officers scan photo ID documents and boarding passes at two or three podiums in front of the checkpoint creates bottlenecks in the passenger line. DOGE can alleviate their workload and mitigate their operational risk from repetitive work by adding five e-security gates that will prompt passengers to scan their photo ID document and boarding pass, and take a picture of their face. The gate can then use neural networks to reconcile the photo ID picture and facial shot together. Once a passenger has finished scanning their photo ID and boarding pass, the gate GUI screen can then prompt them to repeat the process for accompanying travelers or family members. The gates will also have a help button to call a security officer to help if they encounter any issues or require help with the prompts. All gates will be wide enough to accommodate for families with children on strollers and for wheelchaired passengers. The podiums staffed with security officers will still be there for passengers who prefer to use that service instead.
Hong Kong Airport deploys biometric gates to boost security
-
For the security checkpoint, staff them with security contract workers who will treat the passengers with dignity, courtesy, and respect, and catch suspicious items rapidly. Put the companies who provide this security contract staff and service on a five-year contract period, with a review six months before the period is up. Have the airport authority and board conduct the review, and incorporate passenger feedback and security checkpoint turnover analytics in it. When an airport security contract company bids for the contract, have them demonstrate their security checkpoint setup and prove how they can catch suspicious items quickly while maintaining courteous and professional service to the passengers.
-
At the security checkpoint, replace the body scanners with metal detectors instead. Remove the requirements for passengers to take off their shoes before crossing the checkpoint. If a passenger has metal in his or her shoe, have him or her remove it, pass it through the X-ray, and provide rubber slippers to go through the metal detector. Also, remove the requirement for passengers to empty large bottles of liquids before going through the metal detector. This requirement does not accommodate for babies, toddlers, or special needs passengers who require high amounts of liquid food for their meals. Also, use large plastic buckets to consolidate the bags and removed loose items like laptops, tablets, and belts. These buckets can be transferred from the back to the front of the checkpoint using a conveyor belt.
Airport CBP Immigration Inspection and Security Checkpoint Analytics Dashboard
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and DOGE can install entry and departure sensors at the CBP immigration inspection and airport security checkpoints. For the immigration checkpoint, place the entry and departure sensors in front and behind the automated gate near the floor, and underneath the sliding door and behind the CBP officer booth. For the airport security checkpoint, place the entry and departure sensors in front of the photo ID and boarding pass scan point, and behind the benches where passengers gather all their belongings together. When passengers cross these sensors, they will provide time lapse data in real time that will automatically calculate the time taken to cross these checkpoints. DHS and DOGE can have that checkpoint crossing time data be relayed to analytics dashboards that can report the average, maximum, minimum, and medium times segmented by airport, immigration or security checkpoint, terminal area, and staffed booth / podium or automated gate. That way, DHS, DOGE, and security contractors can get feedback on the turnover and efficiency of these checkpoints, and put forth goals to raise efficiency or improve scrutiny when needed. Selected crossing times can also be reported to American and foreign travelers for transparency purposes.
I ask DHS and DOGE to seriously consider this proposal to not only Make American Air Travel Efficient and Great Again but also put American air travelers FIRST! Also, airlines will benefit immensely from quick and efficient checkpoints since they will mitigate revenue loss incurred from air travelers missing their connecting flights.