One Step Closer to National ID

U.S. to implement passport requirement By BEVERLEY LUMPKIN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - The Homeland Security Department will require virtually all air travelers entering the United States after Jan. 23 to show passports — even U.S. citizens. (Yahoo News)

Well, this is not exactly news. DHS has been promising this step for close to a year now. A couple of questions jump to mind though. Feel free to follow along.

As I asked back in October (Can You Prove You Status) most American citizens lack the critical documentation to get a Real ID drivers license, but can get a passport. Now, here is the first question. Since passports are issued by the Department of State and the Real ID program is run by DHS (who also officially guard the borders) why is a passport more acceptable than a drivers license that meets the Real ID program standards? Go with me on this for a moment...assume that there is such a thing as a Real ID drivers license. Or, why is a passport more acceptable than an HSPD-12 ID which is supposed to be even more stringent to get than a Real ID drivers license?

Next question, from Chertoff's own mouth:

"Right now, there are 8,000 different state and local entities in the U.S. issuing birth certificates and driver's licenses," Chertoff said. Having to distinguish phony from real in so many different documents "puts an enormous burden on our Customs and Border inspectors," he said.

Yet this requirement does not put an enormous burden on the people at the State Department? Or, more correctly, assumes that the State Department is ready and prepared to meet the demand for new passport applications. The only difference of course is the people at the State department do not have you standing and waiting at a border control point and can take their time verifying that your identification is real. But again, we come back to a core point. Do you have that identification to begin with.

If you plan to travel at all in 2007, and you do not have a passport, you better submit your paperwork now. It took me six weeks to get mine in March of this year and I was not going anywhere until August and really did not need one. I suspect there will be a large number of people stuck on the wrong side of the border on January 24, 2007.