WASHINGTON, DC – Travelers to the United States who experience difficulties during airport and train station screenings or at border crossings now can make inquiries or seek resolution at an easy-to-use Internet site.
The Department of Homeland Security launched its new Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP) February 21 as part of its continuing effort in conjunction with the State Department to balance security needs with the needs of the traveling public.
TRIP is the point of contact with Homeland Security for travelers who are denied or delayed airline boarding, denied or delayed entry into or exit from the United States at a port of entry or border checkpoint, or continuously are referred to additional (secondary) screening.
We’re making travel more efficient and secure by offering a convenient redress process,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “This is a win-win program. Eliminating false positives makes the travel experience more pleasant for legitimate visitors, and it frees up our front-line personnel to apply even greater scrutiny of those individuals who truly present safety and security risks.”
The department’s action was welcomed by various civil rights groups and other organizations, including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
Problems encountered by visitors to the United States at airports, train stations or border crossings have been a matter of ongoing concern to U.S. officials and the travel industry. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) received approximately 20,000 requests for redress in 2006, according to James Kennedy, the director of TSA’s redress office. Kennedy was among several officials who briefed journalists and travel industry representatives on the new program. Other agencies also have received a significant number of complaints.
The new program “is a way we can go through a one-stop process … so we can solve it once and the individual won’t have to go chasing different government agencies,” Kennedy said.
Under TRIP, travelers can fill out a single request for redress via a secure Web site. The electronic form asks the traveler to identify a concern, such as being told fingerprints were incorrect or of poor quality, or experiencing possible discrimination based on race, disability, religion, gender or ethnicity. This information will be shared with the relevant Homeland Security agencies, such as TSA or U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with the Department of State and, when appropriate, with airport and airline operators.
Kraninger emphasized that measures to safeguard privacy are built into TRIP, which will adhere to the provisions of the U.S. Privacy Act of 1974. “We are requesting only what we need,” depending on the complaint, Kraninger said.
Supporting documentation can be submitted within 30 days by fax, mail or e-mail. The information cannot be used for any other purpose and will be destroyed after seven years, the standard time frame within the U.S. government, Kennedy said.
Additional information on TRIP, including instructions on filing a complaint, is available on the Homeland Security Web site, www.dhs.gov.
