A Brazilian judge furious at U.S. plans to fingerprint and photograph Brazilians entering the United States has ordered Brazil to do the same to U.S. citizens, police said on Tuesday.
| Fair's fair. What's the beef? |
The order, set to go into effect on Jan. 1, came after a government office filed a complaint in federal court over the U.S. measure aimed at millions of foreign travelers. "Unless the court order is contested in the justice system, it will be complied with," said a spokesman for Brazil’s Federal Police, the agency overseeing immigration. Starting Jan. 5, citizens of countries such as Brazil who need a visa to enter the United States will be fingerprinted and photographed when they pass through immigration at major U.S. airports and seaports. The procedure is meant to identify people who have violated immigration controls, have a criminal record or belong to groups the U.S. government lists as terrorist organizations. The checks will not be carried out against citizens of 27 nations who do not need a visa to enter the United States. "I consider the act absolutely brutal, threatening human rights, violating human dignity, xenophobic and worthy of the worst horrors committed by the Nazis," said Federal Judge Julier Sebastiao da Silva in the court order released on Tuesday.
| Why do you say that, judge? How does it violate human rights to have your picture and your fingerprints taken? How does that compare with slaughtering millions based on their DNA, starving them and whacking them with rifle butts? Where do the ovens come in? The tattoos? Could we have some of that ganja? It sounds like it's pretty good stuff. |
Brazil currently requires U.S. citizens to have a visa when entering the country. |