ENHANCED SECURITY Western governors want travellers prescreened at foreign airports

Posted on 12/07/2015

Governors from Western US states are calling for the expansion of a programme that screens international travellers at airports abroad before they reach the United States.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock told the Western Governors' Association that expanding a US government pre-clearance programme would serve two purposes. “First, it enhances national security by keeping potential terrorists from even arriving in the US,” he said. “Second, it encourages tourists to travel to the US by reducing the hassle and wait times at customs checkpoints” when they arrive. The resolution endorsed by governors of 15 states asks US customs and immigration authorities to put screeners at airports in Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and England. It notes that screeners are currently stationed at 15 airports in Ireland, Canada, Aruba, the Bahamas, Bermuda and the United Arab Emirates.

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead called security the No. 1 priority for governors of every state, not just the 19 members of the association. “You can't think of security of any individual state without thinking of the security of the country as a whole,” Mead said, adding that he expected the National Governors Association might address the issue.