Passports, Please!

U.S., Canadian, Mexican Passengers Affected By New Rules At U.S. Airports

(AP)  Americans flying to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean need to bring their passports now, because of a new rule that went into effect in early 2007 requiring them to show one to get back into the U.S.

Only about a quarter of U.S. citizens hold valid passports, and most Americans are accustomed to traveling to neighboring countries with just a driver's license or birth certificate, which have long been sufficient to get through airport customs on the trip home.

The new regulations requiring passports were adopted by Congress in 2004 to secure the borders against terrorists.

Travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and other airports on Monday said they had no complaints about the requirement.

"I'd rather be going through a security check, than possibly being blown out of the air because of lack of security measures," John Golden of Columbus, Ga., who was headed to Cancun, Mexico.

---

On The Early Show Thursday, Travel + Leisure magazine Deputy Editor Laura Begley taught "Passport 101," about the new rules. To get her explanation, click here. To watch the segment, click here.

---

Since Tuesday, Canadian, Mexican and Bermudan air travelers, as well as U.S. citizens flying home from those countries or the Caribbean, have been required to display their passports to enter the United States.

The only valid substitutes for a passport will be a NEXUS Air card, used by some American and Canadian frequent fliers; identification as a U.S. Coast Guard merchant mariner; and the green card carried by legal permanent residents. Active members of the U.S. military are exempt.

For now, the rules affect only air travelers. Land and sea travelers will not have to show passports until at least January 2008. Air travelers who cannot produce a passport will be interviewed by customs agents, who will decide whether to let them into the country.

"We're not seeing a panic from travelers because we've been pretty diligent in telling them for over a year that they need a passport. It's written on any piece of paper we have going out," said AAA spokeswoman Teresa Hildebrand.

Internet travel sites such as Expedia.com have posted warnings "in bold with exclamation point," said company spokeswoman Erin Krause, adding that agents followed-up with e-mails to customers traveling to the affected destinations.

Canadian consulate officials in the U.S. reported fielding hundreds of calls a day, most from the approximately 100,000 Canadian "snowbirds" who spend the winter in Florida or Arizona and feared they might not be able to fly back without passports, said Lawrence Barker, president of the Canadian Snowbird Association. (They can, Barker said.)

The State Department issued a record 12.1 million passports in 2006 and expects to issue 16 million more this year to meet the increased demand.

Mexican consulates are seeing a demand for passports three times higher than usual in some offices. In San Francisco on Monday, the line of people applying for passports at the Mexican consulate stretched around the block.

Cruz Garcia, a Mexican citizen living in Hayward, had been in line since 5 a.m.

"It seems important for the American government to know who comes and goes," she said. She plans to visit her parents in Mexico this summer and wants to be ready. "I don't want any glitches."

And if Americans needed any further encouragement to head to warmer climes this winter but lacked the proper papers, a travel association in the Bahamas is offering to reimburse a traveler's passport fees if they stay at a participating hotel in Nassau or Paradise Island.

[debijm]

I just need to say that Julie Chen's comment that Caribbean countries should pay in some way for Americans to have passports is stupid. she apparently has no idea of the situation in Jamaica and The Bahamas. Tourism is a major contributor to these countries economies, yet a decision made by the US government is going to not only affect these economies when people don't get passports and so don't travel to the region but then also for those who do get passports to then get a discount on the cost to visit the region.
All other countries have passports which attract a cost, why should Americans think they are above that requirement.
This should have happened a long time ago.

[grazinggoat]

Once again the boogiemen behind these measures are making THE money. Not only in US ports and airports, but in abroad countries such as Canada and Mexico who have to cope with more spending on security facilities and equipment. Not counting the many new obligations such as passport purchasing for Canadians and Mexicans who, previously to these measures, could stroll to the US for shopping in border towns, with just a National ID card...

[cdegolier]

We don't know for sure if any terrorist have come through the Mexican border, I don't think they have though. Mexico really inforces their border because they don't want illegals coming in to their country. The passport is a good idea, but they need to build the wall to keep some kind of control. I live in California and would love to see a decrease in illegals so maybe my car insurance will decrease, my medical insurance will decrease, my homeowners will decrease and my property taxes would decrease it would be so wonderful and probably my state taxes will decrease if we don't have to spend so much money providing for illegals.

[usawatchman]

YOU ALL HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING YET

Tonight BUSH is going say he want's to TAX your health benefits..

You come down with cancer, and
it cost $30,000 for your OPERATION
your INSURANCE co. pay for your operation, and

YOU will pay $3000 for the PRIVILEGE
to have $$$$ and
FORETHOUGHT to pay for HEALTH INS.

you may loose your life ,
but you will ALSO loose your HOUSE...etc
to the TAX MAN...

ALL so ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
can get FREE HEALTH CARE...

=========

and don't even get me started on their HATE CRIME BILL
where they want to take away OUR FREE SPEECH
so we can't complain about
POLITICIANS, and BUREAUCRATS...
without breaking some TREASONOUS NEW LAW

[arohanui-2009]

Seems to me that the USA is finally catching up with the rest of the world and making a passport a valid entry document. It has never bothered me showing one at any border. Then again, I have nothing to hide.

[frankinaz]

Its ironic the you can't enter Mexico or other countries from the air without a passport, but illegal immigrants can enter this country without any ID and no background or disease checks! Then they commit crimes such as forgery and purgery to remain and be employed here, with access to many services only LEGAL citizens should have available. If a person is here illegally they should be deported, and not be allowed to return to this country without being punished!

[jscribe58]

I'm having trouble understanding why anyone with legitimate travel plans would have a problem with this. Passports are considered valid ID everywhere in the world, so everyone should have one anyway. As far as Mexicans having a harder time coming in, it's an issue that needs resolving anyway, so why not now? In any case, we already know that security was lax before 9-11, and this will definitely make it tighter. Too bad, criers.

[usawatchman]

Posted by bluecraze378 at 01:58 PM : Jan 23, 2007

You should THINK before your WRITE

The WORD you are looking for and have
SUCH A HARD TIME FINDING

is called

SARCASM

look it up in the dictionary
it is a real word...

let me repeat

S-A-R-C-A-S-M...!

Isn't that I-R-O-N-I-C...!

[randalds]

Why not just group this law under all of the other anti-Mexican laws and call it the "We Hate Brown People" movement? Would save a lot of paperwork.

[333blue333]

USAwatchman is a raving lunatic.

And that RealID thing sounds like something straight out of Revelation in the bible (ie mark of the beast etc...)

I can understand putting tracking devices in people who have previously committed serious felonies and are out on parole, but to track everyone%u2019s movement like a big brother type government is the first step in losing all of our personal freedoms as American. It%u2019s like what Benjamin Franklin once said: %u2018Those who sacrifice their freedom for security deserve neither freedom nor security%u2019

Terrorism may be a threat, but only because we provoked it overseas. If we clean up our act, improve our foreign relations, and pull out of Iraq we might find our nation%u2019s security will improve significantly.