From the same NYT piece cited below (which is about the pending meeting of the chief execs of the US, Mexico and Canada), we have the following:
But it is borders that will provide the common theme for the summit meeting. Canadian officials hope to persuade Mr. Bush to ease new rules for travelers crossing the Canadian border into the United States.The new rules would require Americans and Canadians entering the United States by air and sea from Canada to have a passport beginning Jan. 1. Travelers crossing the land border would need a passport or new travel identification card a year after that. Currently a driver’s license or birth certificate is often acceptable.
Since most Americans do not have passports, some Canadian officials, fearing a negative impact on tourism and trade, have suggested that Washington could make driver’s licenses and birth certificates more tamperproof. But it is difficult for Washington to tighten the border with Mexico without taking similar steps with Canada.
I wonder if a great debate about al Qaeda crossing the Canadian border will now erupt, or, even better, if there will be calls to militarize the frontier with the Great White North? I noted the other day that the security issue is a red herring in the current debate, so I expect that, on balance, the northern border will continue to be a footnote in the debate.
The debate–important as it is–over illegal immigrants/immigration in general from Mexico really isn’t about terrorism–although it has given an additional rhetorical layer to the debate.
November 16th, 2024 at 11:32 am
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