U.S.-Canada Gulf Widening

Day was referring in particular to DHS' Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and its requirement, beginning this past January, that all air travelers arriving in the United States from Canada must show passports. Previously, both Canadians and Americans could enter with any document, such as a driver's license, deemed sufficient to demonstrate citizenship. The measure has created chaos at passport agencies on both sides of the border and, because of much confusion, has even cut down by 23 percent on the number of U.S. travelers crossing by car into Canada. Despite having to adopt some exceptions to allow people without passports to complete their travel plans, DHS is plowing ahead with plans to require passports by next summer for all travelers crossing by land or water -- 10 times as many as those who travel by air. Public anger with the red tape and political frustration with the unilateral nature of how the border measures are imposed have prompted the government of current Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the first conservative to hold the office in more than 12 years, to step up collaborating with the U.S. on security issues. Indeed, Harper officials suggest that the perimeter idea is no longer a nonstarter. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/19/AR2007071901339.html

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