UPDATE: Ports Of Entry Report No Delay With New Document Laws

By Martin Bartlett

EL PASO — With new document requirements in effect for U.S. citizens returning through ports of entry, county clerk employees have been working overtime to ensure travelers have what they need.

Officials at the county clerk’s office said there has been a mad scramble for people wanting to get birth certificate copies, but they assured residents there is no need for panic. Full enforcement of the new requirements is slowly to phased in to be in full effect by June, 2009.

At midnight Thursday, agents at the various ports of entry in Texas and New Mexico began asking crossers for citizenship identification. Some had suspected this new initial phase would dramatically slow down traffic crossing at the bridges, but acting Port Director Gene Garza said such was not the case.

He said many of those crossing obtained their passports or have acceptable documentation. To reiterate, U.S. citizens can use a passport, a Trusted Traveler card or driver’s license and birth certificate combination to continue commuting between the sister cities of El Paso and Juarez.

Those without the proper documents have received pamphlets explaining what is needed the next time they ‘return to the U.S.’ The next test will be the weekends when typically, more traffic crosses the international borders. CBP officials said more staff will be on-hand to ensure traffic flow management does not become a problem.

For those wishing to continue with their paperwork processing, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires a passport for air, land or sea travel or a passport card is sufficient for land or sea entry for travel among the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Caribbean Islands.

The new DS-11 passport applications will be available beginning February 1st for passports or passport cards. As of January 31, 2008:

Oral declarations of citizenship alone will NO longer be accepted U.S. and Canadian citizens aged 19 or over will need to present a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth or naturalization certificate Children aged 18 or younger will only be required to present proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate Passports and trusted traveler program cards – NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST – will continue to be accepted for cross-border travel

Mexican citizens traveling into the U.S. will not be required to show any additional paperwork.