New Passport Requirement for Travelers, Includes U.S. Citizens

Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Department of State announced the official requirement for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to present a passport to enter the United States when arriving by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere beginning January 23, 2007.
(photo: Gerald L. Nino)

"The ability to misuse travel documents to enter this country opens the door for a terrorist to carry out an attack. We can not continue to allow loopholes that could facilitate access to the United States through false claims of citizenship or fake identities," said DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff. "This initiative strengthens our border security by designating verifiable secure documents that may be used at our air ports of entry."

The travel document requirements make up the departments of State and Homeland Security's Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). This change in travel document requirements is the result of recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission, which Congress subsequently passed into law in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires all citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States from within the Western Hemisphere.

By limiting the types of documents presented will result in a more efficient border. There are more than 8,000 different state and local entities in the U.S., which issue birth certificates and driver's licenses. Currently, a Customs and Border Patrol Officer needs to assess the authenticity of each birth certificate and license, regardless of when or where it was issued. The challenge at the borders is how to assess individual travelers, based on the documents they present, without significantly slowing the processing time for admission into the United States.

CBP Officers intercepted more than 75,000 fraudulent documents in FY2005 and apprehended over 84,000 individuals at the ports of entry trying to cross the border with fraudulent claims of citizenship or documents.