Despite a massive backlog of passports and so far lacking the implementation of new PASS Card technologies that could improve border wait times, Department of Homeland Security continues to provide an uncertain, and confusing implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). Border Trade Alliance (BTA) has been advocating for the implementation date of June 2009, to which Congress added further support in an amendment to last weeks security appropriations bill. Yesterday, BTA issued a press release regarding the recent DHS announcements.
Bush administration delays passport rule in wake of complaints. © 2007 The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration will delay for at least six months a rule that Americans present passports when entering the U.S. at a land or sea border crossing, officials said Wednesday. The announcement marks the second time in a month that officials have scaled back security plans in response to complaints.Beginning in January, land a nd sea travelers returning from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be allowed to present a birth certificate and driver’s license in lieu of a passport. Read the whole article..
U.S. delays need for passport when crossing by land, sea: Homeland Security bows to pressure from Canada and the U.S. Congress - Canada.com
WASHINGTON — Canadians won’t need to show a passport for travel to the United States across land and sea borders for at least another year, following a sudden policy reversal by the U.S. government. Bowing to months of pressure from the U.S. Congress and the Canadian government, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday it would not enforce the requirement for passports — or another form of approved identity document — at land and sea crossings until the summer of 2008 at the earliest. Read the full article…
Comments of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on DHS Announcement of Draft Plan for New WHTI Border-Crossing Requirements - PR News Wire
WASHINGTON - Today (Wednesday), the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and State announced draft plans for moving forward with implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). Their action comes as momentum is building in both the Senate and the House to move the next WHTI implementation date forward 17 months. Beginning Jan 31, 2008, DHS plans to begin initial elements of WHTI implementation at land and sea ports of entry by ending the routine practice of accepting oral declarations alone. At that point, U.S. and Canadian citizens will need to present either a WHTI-compliant document or a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, will then set a date to implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. DHS and State expect the date of full WHTI implementation to be during the summer of 2008. Leahy is the chief sponsor of the Leahy- Stevens Amendment to delay implementation, passed last week by the Senate Appropriations Committee, during markup of the annual DHS funding bill. The House passed a similar amendment a day later. Read the full article…
Slaughter questions DHS proposed WHTI regulations - Travel Daily News
Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, Chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, responded to the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed regulations for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Rep. Slaughter has been the leading voice in Congress against WHTI.
“Homeland Security’s ambitious rush ahead with its passport requirement is not grounded in reality,” Rep. Slaughter said. “The Administration has yet to complete the driver’s license pilot program in Washington State, or develop a low-cost alternative passport card. Until then, announcements like the one today are premature and serve to only further confuse the traveling public.” Read the full article…
Land, Sea Passport Requirements Delayed Until Summer ’08 - CQ
Passport requirements for travelers — including U.S. citizens — entering the United States by land and sea from Canada, Mexico and Bermuda will be postponed by about six months, Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff announced Wednesday.DHS will institute the passport requirement around the end of next summer, instead of January 2008 as it originally aimed. In the interim, beginning Jan. 31, 2008, DHS intends to stop accepting oral declarations of citizenship as the sole means of entering the country by land or sea. U.S. and Canadian citizens will instead need to present a passport, or, alternatively, a government-issued photo ID plus proof of citizenship — such as a driver’s license and birth certificate. Mexican citizens are already required to present a passport and visa, or certain border-crossing cards, to enter the United States; Bermudans will be required to present a passport. Read the full article…
1 Comment
DHS’s passport requirement rule for United States citizens will not prevent illegal entry to the U.S.A. Any physical document can and will be duplicated or altered or be used by imposters to gain entry. I worked for US Immigrations and Homeland Security as an Immigrations Inspector Supervisor at a Land Border Port Of Entry for 15 years. During this period we intercepted hundreds of counterfeit and altered entry documents. I saw some very good quality of counterfeit US passports. The bad guys back then did not have the technology that exists today to duplicate documents. It will only be a matter to time for them to come up with an almost perfect copy of a passport that only experienced inspectors would be able to identify.
A solution to this problem is to do away with the PHYSICAL document. Instead of requiring US citizens travelers to get a passport, require them to register as such with DHS/DOS. The registration would require them to show proof that they are in fact US citizens, (as they do when applying for a passport), here their fingerprints and photo would be taken along with other bio. information that would be entered into a database for US travelers.
When applying for admission at a landborder (Mexico/Canada), they would only be required to make and oral declaration of citizenship. Their prints would be taken and the inspector would get confirmation that the applicant is a registered US traveler and be admitted.
Each Port of Entry already has this technology in place now and being used on a daily basis to identify alien’s status. We used to call it the “IDENT” system. What would be required is a seperate database for US travelers. It would take only 10 to 15 seconds to get a confirmation.
This solution has its advantages;
1. It would deny counterfieters and terrorist to duplicate or alter documents(they would not have something to copy)
2. Users would not have to worry about losing the document or having it stolen.
3. Users would not be able to sell the document or loan it.
4. Data would never expire(unless the user dies)
5. The American people would spend less money ( registering would be much less expensive than a passport)
And these are only a few advantages I came up with, there are more.
The requirement to present a passport at airports when arriving from a country that is not a continous territory such as Mexico or Canada, is and has always been a requirement. This solution applies to US citizen travelers returning from a brief visit to Mexico or Canada at landborders.
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The BTA reserves the right to post comments it feels are appropriate to creating a dialog around border issues. We are interested in hearing from all points of view and encourage those with unique, constructive perspectives to contribute their view points to help shape the future of our borders. BTA is a tri-national organization and will not accept posts that contain derogatory comments made towards citizens, groups, or organizations of any kind.