U.S. to Tighten Border Controls by 2008 (for Americans, that is)

Seems Shrubco's twisted idea of tightening border controls involves requiring American citizens to show their passports to get back in. (The illegals sneaking over, on the other hand, well, come on in!) The irony is laughable.

WASHINGTON Apr 5, 2005 — Americans will need passports to re-enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, Panama and Bermuda by 2008, part of a tightening of U.S. border controls in an era of terrorist threat, three administration officials said Tuesday.

Similarly, Canadians will also have to present a passport to enter the United States, the officials said.

Asked about the changes in an Associated Press interview, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States had to take every precaution to screen out "people who want to come in to hurt us."

Rice also said the changes were made after consultation with Mexico, Canada and others in the Western Hemisphere.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=643970

:smoke:

:D

I already need a birth certificate and photo ID to get back and forth from Detroit to Windsor.

A passport would decrease my current document load.

from getting the hell out of here, I couldn't care less.

Escapeartist.com is starting to look better every day.

If I go, I ain't coming back....

I can't afford one. Does this mean if I go to Canada they'll have to keep me?

The cost of a passport for those 16 and above is $97, under 16 $82 dollars. The cost of a renewal is $67 dollars in all cases a $12 security surcharge fee is added to make these totals. The passport is then presumed to be good for 10 yrs from its issued date. I live in a border state and frequently travel north, it is not uncommon to have and hour wait or more to enter Canada. For years a drivers license, birth certificate for children and other forms of photo ID have been accepted, including entrance interviews. Does anyone believe that customs agents have the time to review every document upon entry. Then ask questions, look for profiles and send you on your way. Imagine traveling to Canada on a weekend and trying to get home. A passport is no guarantee to security, many are lost stolen and sold on the black market. I would expect the costs associated with passport will rise 2 or 3 times just to keep up with demand. From my view it looks more like another way to restrict travel then to catch illegals. What comes next? Will we be require to show our identity papers to cross into another state. I find this as just another way to inconvenience our citizens rather than afford more protection.