Therefore, comprehensive immigration reform must include a better system for verifying documents and work eligibility . . . GW Bush 2006
What follows is text of a speech by Elaine Dezenski, Acting Assistant Secretary for Border and Transportation Security Policy and Planning, April 5, 2005. This report was to announce progress on the plans set in place to implement the FTAA, one hemispheric block.
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Now, the third phase is getting into the land borders and that's where we think we have some flexibility to utilize some other types of documentation. So, in addition to the passport, what we're proposing is the popular use of four different documents.
The first would be what we call a BCC, or Border Crossing Card, which is issued to Mexican nationals and requires a passport. And it's similar to applying for a visa, but instead of getting a visa you would actually get a Border Crossing Card. It's utilized by Mexican nationals who come into the country on regular basis, to visit family, for work purposes, whatever the case may be. So that's one option at the southern border that we think will be flexible in terms of those document requirements.
The second option is what we call the SENTRI card and the SENTRI card is also used at the southern border. It can apply to U.S. citizens, Mexican citizens or third-party citizens who cross that border on a regular basis. And in order to get a SENTRI card, you do have to present some documentation that verifies your citizenship. And that's really the key: Does the alternative document allow us to verify your identify and where you're from?
The third option would be what we call our NEXUS card, and the NEXUS card is also applicable to U.S. citizens as well as Canadian citizens and then any third-party nationals who might also be interested. But it applies to crossing on the northern border. Similar to SENTRI, there are requirements that would verify your identification and your country of origin.
The fourth option is what we call our FAST Card, Free and Secure Trade, and that applies to commercial truck drivers on both the northern and the southern border. So if you're crossing routinely -- we have, actually, many FAST Cards already in use and that is one document where we think we have the right level of security and could utilize that in lieu of a passport for those commercial drivers. So those are the four options that we're proposing at this point. As we move forward with the implementation of this program, it is possible that additional types of registered traveler programs could be available. We'll look at that on an evolving basis as we continue to work through those issues within the department, but we think there is some flexibility that we can look at for the land border, which is really where we have the most challenges in terms of facilitating a great number of people and doing so in a way that doesn't slow things down too much.
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Its already set up.
The first would be what we call a BCC, or Border Crossing Card, which is issued to Mexican nationals and requires a passport. And it's similar to applying for a visa, but instead of getting a visa you would actually get a Border Crossing Card. It's utilized by Mexican nationals who come into the country on regular basis, to visit family, for work purposes, whatever the case may be. So that's one option at the southern border that we think will be flexible in terms of those document requirements. We've issued 11 million of these to Mexicans in the past 10 years, and they have 10-yr durations. They are biometric cards but they are not scanned at the border because of time constraints, so there's no vetting (as there is in airports) to assure that the card carrier is the same person that applied for the card. This program must be severely curtailed if we ever want to get a handle on the illegal immigration problem.
"We'll look at that on an evolving basis as we continue to work through those issues within the department, but we think there is some flexibility that we can look at for the land border, which is really where we have the most challenges in terms of facilitating a great number of people and doing so in a way that doesn't slow things down too much."
You can see by this bureaucrat's presentation just how much gets inserted in legislation, behind the scenes and with little or no public discussion or awareness.
You can also bet that "facilitating a great number of people and doing so in a way that doesn't slow things down too much" is their main priority; not insuring we will ever get a "temorary" visitor out of the country once they are here, or insuring the national security issues get adequately addressed for all those "great number" of people we are trying so hard to allow in.