The Bush Administration has announced it will be adding 27 countries, some of which are our close allies, to the US-VISIT program that requires foreigners be fingerprinted upon entering the U.S.

The move affects citizens in 27 countries -- including Britain, Japan and Australia -- who had been allowed to travel within the United States without a visa for up to 90 days, according to the Homeland Security Department. Under changes in the US-VISIT program that will take effect by Sept. 30, they will be fingerprinted and photographed when they enter through any of 115 international airports and 14 seaports. There are no changes in unique rules covering visits by Canadians and Mexicans.

This will add 13 million visitors to the program, but the Administration says it won't cause a delay to travelers. What about the privacy intrusion? And the fact that other countries now are apt to demand Americans be fingerprinted when visiting within their borders, as Brazil has done.

The Government says that to date, 5 million visitors to the U.S. have been fingerprinted under the program, only 200 of whom have been stopped. The stops are due to the visitor having a prior criminal record or being suspected of visa violations or crime. This program strikes us as a colossal waste of money and law enforcement resources. It is bound to generate nothing but ill-will.

Update: Here's a resource page on the US-VISIT program.