I can't for the life of me recall which thread we discussed this in, but here is an update to what I professed earlier:
U.S. plans 'travel cards' for trips to Mexico, Canada Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Washington -- The Bush administration, bowing to grumbling from U.S. border communities, announced plans Tuesday to enable U.S. citizens to cross U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico with a new $50 "travel card" similar to a driver's license rather than requiring a $97 passport.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff described the proposed wallet-size card for land crossings at a news conference with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Canada and Mexico, as well as U.S. border states and communities, have all complained about Bush administration plans to require U.S. citizens and foreigners crossing U.S. borders to carry passports or similarly secure documents by Dec. 31, 2007.
Currently, U.S. citizens present proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, and a photo ID, such as a driver's license, to return home from quick visits to Canada or Mexico.
Chertoff said the Bush administration will begin issuing U.S. citizens the border-crossing cards by the end of the year.
Twenty-three percent of U.S. citizens, or 62 million people, currently hold U.S. passports. The initial proposal to require U.S. citizens returning from Canada and Mexico to hold passports was expected to increase demand for passports to about 17 million a year by 2008.
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URL:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/01/18/MNG6UGORH61.DTL
