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 Travel & Outdoors | January 2008 
Travelers From Mexico Must Prove U.S. Citizenship
 Associated Press
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| | Starting Thursday, U.S. citizens will have to present some proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate or other acceptable document, in addition to government-issued photo identification like a drivers license. | | |
The U.S. government practice of allowing its citizens to simply state their U.S. citizenship when returning from Mexico - a federal policy dating back to 1849 - ends this week, and big delays can be expected at the border as a result, it was reported Sunday.
Southland residents used to zipping into Mexico and back will need to be prepared for tough new border-crossing requirements that are expected to delay northbound border crossings later this week, experts said.
Starting Thursday, U.S. citizens will have to present some proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate or other acceptable document, in addition to government-issued photo identification like a drivers license.
Experts expect already-long lines of cars at Tijuana, Otay Mesa and Tecate to get even worse, as both primary and secondary inspection lanes clog with U.S. citizens not carrying proper proof of citizenship.
"If there is a need to ask more questions, we are going to do that in the secondary area, because we can't afford to slow down traffic," Vince Bond, a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection, told the San Diego Union- Tribune.
Northbound travelers will no longer be able to simply declare they are U.S citizens, the practice since California became a state. Canadian citizens, until now allowed to enter without proof of citizenship, will also have to present documents, the Tribune-Union reported.
Although there will be a grace period - those who don't immediately comply with the new rule will be excused as long as there is no suspicion of fraud - officials say they will be closely questioning travelers.
In addition to passports or birth certificates, border officials will also accepted "trusted traveler" program cards such as SENTRI, and military and tribal identification cards.
The new rule is separate from a mandatory passport program that would require that everyone show a passport. That program has been postponed until at least after June 2009.
Some border-state congressional representatives have criticized the new crackdown, which is expected to lead to traffic chaos along the Canadian and Mexican borders. Homeland Security Sec. Michael Chertoff said in an interview that those critics need to "grow up" and recognize that continuing with oral declarations of citizenship "makes a pinata out of the Department of Homeland Security." |
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