Port Workers Will Be Required to Have Security IDs and Reviews

New DHS requirements for port security

January 04, 2007 — CSO — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Wednesday that more than 750,000 port workers will be required to have ID cards, as well as criminal background and immigration checks, The New York Times reports.

Although industry leaders believe the effort could disrupt port traffic nationally, the article reports that the DHS said the initiative will make it harder for terrorists to sneak into secure port areas.

Starting in March, any employees involved in port operations, such as longshoremen and truck drivers, will be required to apply for a tamper-proof card known as the Transportation Worker Identification Credential. According to the Times article, it will contain a fingerprint and a digital photograph.

Applicants will need to prove that they are legally working in the United States, and have not been convicted of any terrorism-related crimes such as spying, sedition or treason, as well as other charges like murder, improper transport of hazardous materials, or illegal possession or purchase of explosives, the Times reports.

Industry leaders are worried that the new restrictions could disqualify thousands of workers and that employees with criminal records, or those who have paid fines, might lose their jobs, the Times reports.

"We don’t want to keep people who are not a terrorist risk to be kept from doing their job," Steve Stallone, a spokesman for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, told the Times.

However, Kip Hawley, assistant secretary of the Transportation Security Administration, felt that the effects would be modest.

"We do not anticipate this will be a huge issue," he told the Times.

The article reports that applicants will have to pay $159 for the card, which is valid for five years. The government estimates that the program will cost $1.8 billion over the next decade.

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