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New IDs for U.S. Port Workers

Under a new security plan made public last Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security, workers at U.S. ports will be required to carry a tamper-proof photo ID card with their fingerprints. The Department said that all the individuals with unescorted access, including longshoremen, port employees, truck drivers and rail workers, would be required to have the card.

Before issuing a card, the government would conduct a background check on every worker, reviewing criminal history, terrorist watch lists, legal immigration status and warrants. The agency would also collect biographic information including the fingerprints, name, birth date, address and phone number.

Says Kip Hawley, head of the Transportation Security Administration, "The Transportation Worker ID is designed to ensure that individuals posing a security threat do not gain access to our nation`s ports." Those getting the ID and not native or naturalized U.S. citizens will also need alien registration numbers and if applicable a photo, employer and job title. The program is at first expected to cover approximately 750,000 workers.