AP: Feds Rate Travelers for Terrorism

Airline passengers wait in line for security screening at Denver International Airport in Denver in this Aug. 13, 2006 file photo. For the last four years without public notice, federal agents have assigned millions of Americans and other travelers computer-generated scores assessing the risk they pose of being terrorists or criminals. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File) (Jack Dempsey - AP)

The department says that 87 million people a year enter the country by air and 309 million enter by land or sea. The government gets advance passenger and crew lists for all flights and ships entering and leaving and all those names are entered into the system for an ATS analysis, Ahern said. He also said the names of vehicle drivers and passengers are entered when they cross the border and Amtrak is voluntarily supplying passenger data for trains to and from Canada.

Ahern said that border agents concentrate on arrivals more than on departures because their resources are limited.

"If this catches one potential terrorist, this is a success," Ahern said.

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On the Net:

DHS privacy impact statement: http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/privacy/privacy_pia_cbp_ats.pdf

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Associated Press writer Leslie Miller contributed to this report.