According to this story in the El Paso Times, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is proposing a fine for U.S. citizens trying to enter the country who don’t have approved credentials.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is proposing to establish a non-compliant traveler fee to cover the costs of processing the identities of U.S. citizens who cross at the ports of entry without a passport or without a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-approved document.
The WHTI requires all travelers to show a valid passport or other approved documents when traveling to the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere, including Canada and México.
Other documents include a Passport Card, and Enhanced Driver’s License, or a Trusted Traveler Program card, which includes a Sentri card.
Currently, U.S. citizens who lack WHTI-compliant documents are not denied entry into the United States.
This effectively denies entry to poor U.S. citizens who might not be able to afford the fine, or the $135 for a passport.
But that’s cool, because there aren’t really any poor U.S. citizens who live on the border who might want to go to Mexico to visit family, are there?
If the honchos at U.S. Customs and Border Protection think it’s a chore to type in the data from non-compliant ID’s, wait until they face the paperwork involved with processing fines.
The Ports of Entry used to have a separate lane for passport holders, but they’ve dropped that. Now passport holders are queued up with everyone else, citizen and non-citizen alike. The quicker way to cross is via bicycle, papers notwithstanding.
Next I reckon they’ll require a two-drink minimum. I’m okay with that.
Once again, we have an example of a bunch of idiots who have no knowledge of our history. It was not all that long ago that we all moved freely back and forth across all the bridges, and it was not just for shopping. We went to weddings and quinceañeras, and for dances and family get togethers, and just for a meal, or to hang out with friends and families. Those days are gone, and it looks like some close-minded folks want to make sure they never come back. This is actually very sad.
You forgot to mention La Mariscal…
The border fence and ports of entry should have been built around the perimeter of our two cities, and we should have had a free pass to cross into Juarez and back anytime we wanted….two cities, one community! The impossible dream….
The fee only applies to people trying to legally cross the border ….
I read that story the day it was posted and immediately accessed El Chuqueño to see what Rich Wright had to say about the matter. I took you what, four (4) days to finally post? You’re slacking Mr. Wright…