Chertoff to Meet with Land
U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D, MI) secured a commitment from U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to meet with Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (R, MI) during his upcoming trip to Michigan regarding her proposal to streamline new federal ID requirements for border crossings with state-issued drivers’ licenses. This commitment came during a hearing in Washington, DC of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today.
Ms. Land has proposed a dual-purpose driver’s license/personal identification card that would combine the convenience and familiarity of a license with the secure technology of a passport. Such a document would harmonize the requirements of Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) and the REAL ID Act in one identification card.
WHTI will require individuals from the United States, Canada, and Mexico to present a passport or other document proving citizenship before entering the United States. Some border states have expressed concerns that this requirement could hurt cross-border commerce and tourism and delay traffic at border crossings.
