Port Security
The Bush Administration said federal authorities plan to conduct background checks on an estimated 400,000 port workers, matching them against government terrorist watch-lists and immigration databases. The federal Transportation Security Administration will conduct the background checks. The Dept. of Homeland Security said it would also issue tamper-free identification cards to about 750,000 workers, including truckers and rail employees, who have unrestricted access to ports. The new safeguards are part of a “ring of security” initiative issued by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
