Port Workers Face Terrorism Checks
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON – Answering criticism about security gaps at American seaports, the Bush administration said yesterday it will conduct background checks on an estimated 400,000 port workers to ensure they do not pose a terrorist threat.
Names of employees who work in the most sensitive areas of ports will be matched against government terror watch lists and immigration databases, the homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, said. Additionally, the Homeland Security Department will issue tamper-resistant identification cards to roughly 750,000 workers – including truckers and rail employees – who have unrestricted access to ports.
The announcement drew tepid praise from Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat Mississippi, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee.
