Some Members of Congress have raised security questions about continuing the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)—since Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) members could legally enter the U.S. with passports from VWP partner countries. Former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, however, stressed that cancelling the VWP would make the U.S. less safe, while hurting alliances abroad.
Speaking at The Heritage Foundation on Wednesday, Secretary Chertoff acknowledged: “We are in a dangerous place in the world, perhaps more dangerous than in the past ten years…because of the terrorist groups proliferated from Africa east to Afghanistan.” But he argued that the VWP increases solidarity with U.S. alliances, boosts intelligence sharing, and facilitates screening of travelers to the U.S. The VWP currently allows citizens of partner countries to visit the U.S. without a visa for 90 days in exchange for security cooperation, information sharing, and reciprocal visa-free travel for U.S. citizens. Contrary to popular belief, the VWP does not allow foreigners to come and go as they please. Under the VWP, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), a database that determines a traveler’s eligibility to travel to the U.S. ESTA provides DHS with an unobtrusive means of collecting data on individuals, which avoids allowing foreign adversaries into the U.S.
VWP countries share information on known and suspected terrorists, criminals, and lost and stolen passports. This data collection makes it easier for the U.S. intelligence community to focus its efforts on other threats. According to Heritage Foundation analysts David Inserra and Riley Waters:
Intelligence remains the most effective weapon for preventing terror attacks. The Visa Waiver Program’s information-sharing requirements harness intelligence to make the U.S. safer, while making it easier for upstanding visitors to experience this great nation.
The VWP continues to facilitate trade and cultural exchange among program members, strengthening solidarity among allies.
Because of the increased security made possible through the VWP, the U.S. ought to include another vital ally—Poland. Like many Eastern European countries, Poland sees entry into the VWP asan important step in creating solidarity with the West. Polish soldiers have fought side by side with American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Poland recently joined the coalition to defeat ISIS.
In the age of increasing non-traditional and asymmetric security threats, America should strengthen bilateral relations with allies with whom it can collaborate to uncover vital intelligence on terror plots. The VWP facilitates this intelligence sharing, while promoting economic, cultural, and social ties. As Poland exemplifies, it should be judiciously expanded, not revoked.
