LAREDO, Texas – Bridges to Mexico in this traffic-choked city began testing a new immigration security program yesterday that requires some visitors to America to be fingerprinted and photographed as they cross the border.

The screening by the Homeland Security Department was being tested yesterday at Gateways from Mexico in Laredo and Douglas, Ariz., and the Canadian border city of Port Huron, Mich.

The technology – which also calls for running checks on the visitors – has been in place at American airports and seaports since January 5, but officials want to pinpoint any glitches before the program extends to the nation’s 50 busiest land crossings by year’s end.

“We always test first,” said Anna Hinken, program outreach manager.

Fabian Gonzales was among the first in line yesterday morning. The 34-year-old walked up to row of bank-like teller machines on the American side of the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge, answered a few questions, then inserted his finger into a small fingerprinting machine. A golf ball-sized camera snapped his picture.

Digital finger scans and photos are matched with databases to determine if visitors might be wanted for immigration problems and crimes or are on lists barring them from entering the country because of suspected terrorist ties.

Mr. Gonzales, a restaurateur from Monterrey, Mexico, who is looking to open up a store in San Antonio, said the process was simple and only took about 7 minutes.

“It’s okay,” he said. “I hope this new process improves the security and also helps the tourists.”

Extra security requirements were passed by Congress in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and have been in place for nearly all non-American citizens since January.

The information gathered at the borders will be stored indefinitely in a national database, but Homeland Security officials promised its use would be restricted to ensure privacy. By the end of 2005, the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program, or US-VISIT, is scheduled to be used at all 165 land border crossings.

Homeland Security is spending $340 million implementing inkless fingerprinting machines, digital cameras, and computer equipment. Another $340 million has been allocated for 2005.

Homeland Security Secretary Ridge praised electronic fingerprinting and other biometrics technology in a speech yesterday at the Asia-Pacific Homeland Security Summit in Honolulu.

“At the same time we use biometrics to combat terrorism, we would also use that kind of information to combat drug runners, multinational criminals, and those who traffic human beings,” Mr. Ridge said.

Business and political leaders in some border cities fought the system initially, fearing the program could slow traffic and have a negative effect on local economies. But the infusion of federal money and personnel to the border could actually improve trade.

Laredo each year has 4.6 million pedestrians, 1.4 million trucks, 6.8 million private vehicles, and more than 40,000 buses cross its four international bridges, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“At the very beginning we were led to believe…that this program was going to be bad for us,” Laredo Mayor Betty Flores said. “From what I witnessed … the program is going to be good for us.”

Maria Luisa O’Connell, president of the Border Trade Alliance, agreed.

“From what I have seen and what I have heard in our conversations with Homeland Security, what they’re looking to do at this first stage seems to be okay,” she said. “We don’t believe that it’s going to cause more backups or lines.”

Leaders of the other two pilot sites also said they were optimistic.

Douglas, Ariz., Mayor Ray Borane said he had met with Homeland Security officials and was convinced USVISIT would not disrupt the busy crossing to Agua Prieta, Mexico.

Thomas Hutka, city manager of Port Huron, Mich., said US-VISIT made city officials feel more secure. “Anything that helps them identify who people are helps us,” he said.

Jim Williams, director of US-VISIT, said Mexican citizens holding Border Crossing Cards, or laser visas, would not be subject to the printing and photographing.

The cards allow Mexicans to enter America for short visits, as long as they do not travel more than 25 miles from the border in Texas, California, and New Mexico.