Passport requirement initiative postponed

WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a postponement of the new passport requirements at U.S. borders.

Officials announced the final rule for the land and sea portion of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requiring passport documents to cross back to the United States from Mexico and Canada has been pushed from Jan. 31, 2008, to June 1, 2009, the DHS reported.

"We are on course to implement and enforce the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which is an important step forward in securing the homeland," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement. "Limiting and standardizing the types of documents presented will result in a more secure and efficient border. We will continue to encourage cross-border travel and trade while at the same time decreasing identity theft and fraud."

The WHTI is a recommendation from the Sept. 11 Commission. The final rule requires travelers to present a passport or other approved document denoting citizenship and identity for traveling into the United States by land or sea.

Many critics had said the DHS was not adequately prepared to implement the new requirements in time for the January deadline.

"The Homeland Security Department's record does not instill confidence in how they will handle the remaining steps in implementing WHTI," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. "There is no indication that they will be ready with the appropriate technology infrastructure at our borders to handle new documents."

The delay comes as welcome news for border crossing communities that depend on commerce between the United States, Canada and Mexico that many feared would have become problematic with the earlier deadline.