Originally Posted by
ESpen36
Of course, some airlines collect them at check-in counters (or prior to boarding begins, at the gate) for the sake of convenience, but that could pose a problem because then the foreigner could simply walk away, out of the airport, and be in the USA undocumented.
In my experience, apart from the three times that it has been forgotten, I have had the I94 removed at check-in across a variety of airlines over about 10 years of regular travel to the US.
With the introduction of the electronic I94 (on some flights now), the process is even less controlled.