Department of Homeland Security Traveler Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will launch the much needed Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) on February 20, 2007. What is TRIP? A consolidated point of inquiry for travel-related issues. TRIP is intended to provide travelers with a “central gateway” to address issues such as watch list misidentification, situations in which individuals believe they have faced screening problems at immigration points of entry, have been unfairly or incorrectly delayed, denied boarding or identified for additional screening at our nation’s transportation hubs. A lot like the people Northwest Airlines profiled in Germany.

This program seems to be targeted, in some part, to redress issues arising from illegal passenger screening, which has been a pretty hot topic recently. The fact that fewer people are traveling to the USA because of the headaches, which is hitting some pretty important people in the pocketbook, is probably a large factor as well.

According to Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, “DHS TRIP will offer the legitimate traveler a clearly-defined process through which to report travel-related discrepancies thus improving the traveler experience overall. Ensuring that personal information is accurate and complete allows us to focus fewer resources on legitimate travelers and more resources on national security and law enforcement issues.” I hope it works.

TRIP isn’t necessarily made for those who get stuck in LAX on one trip to the states. It is intended for those who have been identified for additional screening on numerous occasions to file an inquiry with DHS using a single process. The goal is to have erroneous information corrected in DHS systems. That’s code for “have you taken off the suspected terrorist list.”

More details and contact information will be available upon implementation. Check the DHS website.