Homeland Security Hires Vendors To Help Secure BordersHomeland Security Hires Vendors To Help Secure Borders

The federal government has granted two companies contracts as part of a new immigration and customs program aimed at preventing potential terrorists from entering the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security's Border and Transportation Security directorate has awarded a five-year contract valued at up to $60 million to integrator PEC Solutions Inc. to manage the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program. Known as US-Visit, the program is an entry screening process that by year's end will require biometric identifiers, such as fingerprints, of foreigners entering the country.

PEC Solutions will provide the department with a wide range of management services, including business-case, financial, and budget analysis; acquisition support; public affairs; and technical and schedule management.

Homeland Security also contracted with DigitalNet Government Solutions to provide expertise to the department's Biometrics Support Center, which is part of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The information-assurance company will analyze fingerprints of suspects and people on government watch lists. The value of the contract is based on the number of fingerprints DigitalNet analyzes.