I have a question regarding Passports and the need to have them to enter the U.S. from Mexico and Canada. If the documents presented to get a Passport (Drivers Lic.& Birth Cert) are the same as presently used to cross the border what is the benefit?? Is it just me or does anyone else think this is absurd?

passport News Link
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html


Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)

The proposed implementation timeline has two phases:

* Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.
* As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.

The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Travel Documents for U.S. Citizens Under WHTI

Under the proposed implementation plan, the following documents will be acceptable to fulfill document requirements:

* U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, and may also use a U.S. passport when traveling via sea and land borders (including ferry crossings).
* The Passport Card (also referred to as the PASS Card): This limited-use passport in card format is currently under development and will be available for use for travel only via land or sea (including ferries) between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Similar in size to a credit card, it will fit easily into a wallet.
* DOS and DHS also anticipate that the following documents will continue to be acceptable for their current travel uses under WHTI: SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST, and the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document. As proposed, members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders will continue to be exempt from the passport requirement.

Rationale

US officials implementing the changes say most travellers who need passports to comply with the new rules already have them.

The US says the reason for the change in passport regulations is to over concerns that new passports with their hi-tech features are much more difficult to forge than other ID documents, such as birth certificates, social security cards and driver's licenses.

The next step in increasing US border safety - expected as early as January 2008 - will require all travellers entering by land or sea to hold valid passports.

Nearly three times as many travellers enter the United States by land or sea as do by air.

I understand the rationale of what you are relaying but if this was a security issue 911 was 5 1/2 yrs ago.
Also the Land crossing requirement for '08 has already been backed up another year by congress although they aren't making it widely known yet.
Check the State Dept website.