US-bound travelers embarrassed by fingerprinting

"It's very embarrassing for us," said Brazilian Carlos Pimenta, 36, on arrival at Dulles International Airport. His bags were piled high on a cart.

"I don't think it's appropriate to do this kind of stuff."

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Pimenta was one of an estimated 23 million people arriving on visas in the United States who will have to go through the extra checks this year. The digital defences went up on Monday.

Immigration agents at 115 US airports checked visas and passports, posed the usual questions and then asked arriving passengers to step in front of a camera for a photo and to press their index fingers onto a glass plate so fingerprints could be digitally scanned.

This is US-VISIT, a 380-million-dollar Department of Homeland Security effort that will be installed at all ports of entry on land, sea and air by the end of 2005.

It became the latest security hassle for air travelers, after seven US-bound flights were canceled since December 24: three from France, two from Britain and two from Mexico.

The United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology, or US-VISIT, exempts people from 28 countries, mostly European, if they are from countries that are not required to have entry visas.

The whole process takes only about three minutes, said Benoit Papy, a Frenchman.

But fast or not, the French are supposed to be exempt, Papy protested.

"I wanted to ask the (immigration) guy -- but it was too quick," he said. His eyes were glazed by the overnight flight.

The extra steps lengthened lines only slightly, according to Traveler's Aid volunteers at the airport.