No Passport, No Worries

EL PASO — The deadline for all U.S. citizens to present a passport when entering the country via land crossings from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean has arrived. However, after months of promoting the new regulations, citizens without a passport will still be allowed into the country.

No American citizen will be denied access to the country, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) SpokesmanRoger Maier said. Citizens will still be able to enter the country if they present picture identification, such as a driver’s license, and their birth certificate. However, their wait in lineto get back into the U.S. may be longer than those with a passport, Maier said.

Maier said CBP has not set a strict deadline for a strict enforcement of the new regulations. All those that enter the country without a passport will be given a “non-compliance” flier that shows what documents they need and how to get them. Maier said the personal information and number of times a certain person enters the country without a passport will be kept on file.

Reports that individuals will receive citations after a certain number of times entering the country without a passport are false, Maier said.

WHTI documents for land and sea travel include:

U.S. or Canadian Passport; Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST/EXPRES); U.S. Passport Card; State or Provincial Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (when and where available)

U.S. and Canadian citizen children under age 16 arriving by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean will only need topresent proof of citizenship. These include anoriginal or copy of abirth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.

Click on the following links for more information on the documents you need and the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative: