RFID implants for “guest” workers?

Recently, Mayor Mike Bloomberg proposed a massive biometric database for every worker in the U.S.

In a perhaps unrelated story, VeriChip Corporation has proposed RFID implants for “guest” workers:
“Makers of VeriChip have been planning for this day. They’ve lost millions of dollars trying to sell their invasive product to North America, and now they see an opportunity in the desperation of the people of Latin America,” [Katherine Albrecht, author of “Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track your Every Move with RFID”] observes.

VeriChip’s [Chairman Scott Silverman] bandied about the idea of chipping foreigners on national television Tuesday, emboldened by the Bush Administration call to know “who is in our country and why they are here.” He told Fox & Friends that the VeriChip could be used to register guest workers, verify their identities as they cross the border, and “be used for enforcement purposes at the employer level.” He added, “We have talked to many people in Washington about using it….”
Note that the former head of HHS, Tommy Thompson, sits on Verichip’s board. He’s apparently said he was going to “get chipped”, but has so far refused to follow through.

And, it’s not just purported Americans proposing this, but also Alfaro Uribe, the president of Colombia:
…according to Sen. Arlen Specter, (R-Pa.) who said in a speech before Congress (PDF) that “President Uribe said he would consider having Colombian workers have microchips implanted into their bodies before they are permitted to enter the United States to work on a seasonal basis.”

And if you think that’s going to work, consider what Specter thought of the idea. “I doubted whether the implantation of microchips would be effective since the immigrant worker might be able to remove them,” he said.
It’s not like he’s opposed to them on principle, he just doesn’t think they’d work. If something were developed that would be assured of working, have no doubt that a fine American such as Arlen Specter would support it.

The Lonewacko Blog