The arrest of Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, the 19-year-old Jordinaian who was accused of plotting to blow up Dallas skyscrapers has drawn attention from both parties of Congress that the U.S does not have an efficient system in place to trace foreign visitors on expired visas and that the US needs a universal electronic exit monitoring system. Mr. Smadi is a most recent example of a visitoir who entered the country legally but overstayed his visa.
It is estimated that about 40 percent of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States came on legal visas and overstayed their visas. In FY ‘09, of the 39 million temporary foreign visitors that were admitted in to the US, it is estimated that approximately 200,000 may have overstayed their visas and remained in the US.
Although the Department of Homeland Security officials express concern that the an universal exit control system can be an expensive and daunting option with more than one million crossings a day, it is one of the few ways to assure a systematic follow up that the visitors have departed and not overstayed their visas.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has indicated he would attempt to apply federal stimulus funding to the building of an exit monitoring system.
