Border Trade Alliance

Border Trade Alliance Urges Congressional Action on Congressman Ortiz’ WHTI Improvement Act

Washington D.C. June 18, 2009 - Border Trade Alliance (BTA) today announces its full support of an important bill recently introduced by Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz (TX-27), to address a significant issue impacting the issuance of U.S. passports to citizens.  BTA strongly urges Congress to take immediate action to pass the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Improvement Act, H.R. 2812.

On June 1, 2009 the Department of Homeland Security implemented the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) at all U.S. land ports of entry.  WHTI requires U.S. citizens to present a U.S. passport or other acceptable government issued documentation to provide proof of citizenship upon reentry into the United States from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.  Many U.S. citizens born outside hospitals via midwives or at other alternative health care facilities have been denied passports as the documentation issued as record of their births has been deemed unacceptable for use as evidence of citizenship by the U.S. Department of State (State).

“Congressman Ortiz’ legislation creates a clear, transparent procedure for individual U.S. citizens born outside the traditional hospital setting to obtain U.S. passports or alternative acceptable documentation in order to return to the United States after traveling abroad,” stated Erin Martin Ward, Chair of the BTA.  “This legislation provides for adequate due process for all U.S. citizens in applying for a passport, which fulfills the intent of Congress when it mandated WHTI in 2006.  We thank Congressman Ortiz and the cosponsors of this bill for their attention to this important matter impacting tens of thousands of our fellow citizens.”

Congressmen  (TX-20), Grijalva (AZ-7), Hinojosa (TX-15), Reyes (TX-16), and Rodriguez (TX-23) joined Congressman Ortiz in support of this legislation as cosponsors. 

Each year, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 25,000 U.S. citizens are born outside hospitals.  Rural communities and border states along the U.S. shared border with Canada and Mexico have the highest rates of citizens born outside the traditional hospital setting.  At the same time, many of these U.S. citizens in border regions have livelihoods that are largely dependent on cross-border travel, but under WHTI are restricted from re-entering the U.S. without a passport or other WHTI compliant document.

The BTA has been integrally involved throughout the development of WHTI rules and documentation by DHS and State in advance of its implementation at U.S. land ports of entry.  The BTA supports WHTI and successfully advocated for increased public outreach of the new travel program and its requirements; the development of a lower-cost alternative acceptable document, the PASS card; and the commitment of adequate federal resources to ensure for a smooth transition for cross-border travel upon WHTI implementation at land border crossings on June 1, 2009.

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