The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has unveiled the next stage in the agency's efforts to inform the traveling public about impending changes to cross-border travel to Canada and Mexico beginning in June 2009. DHS has announced its plan to pursue a multi-media advertising campaign regarding the so-called Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) beginning Thursday September 4th during the live telecast of the National Football League season opener between the New York Giants and Washington Redskins. The Border Trade Alliance (BTA), the leading Tri-National Organization on border issues impacting North American commerce and trade, has been a strong advocate for ensuring the successful implementation of the WHTI program, providing as part of their recommendations for successful implementation, calls for broad public awareness campaigns to ensure the public education of the new document requirements under the DHS program.  The BTA welcomes the strong efforts by DHS to educate the public about this impending significant change in the cross-border travel experience.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a federal, secure travel program that requires as of June 1, 2009 all U.S. citizens to present a passport or alternative acceptable document, such as the PASS Card, when entering into the United States from countries such as Canada and Mexico for which documentation had not been previously required. WHTI is being implemented and managed by a joint effort between DHS and the Department of State (State). The requirements of WHTI are currently enforced for air travel and will be similarly implemented for cross-border travel by land and sea next summer.

Shortly after the passage of legislation mandating the WHTI program, the BTA began a series of stakeholder meetings to foster dialog between border citizens and DHS and State to ensure that federal actions to implement the secure traveler program minimized any disruption in cross-border travel and commerce and addressed concerns raised by border constituents, many of which are frequent travelers into Canada and Mexico.

During the development of WHTI by DHS and State the BTA provided specific recommendations for the programs implementation through public comment in the Federal Register, Congressional Testimony and as a member of DHS and State's Secure Borders Open Doors Advisory Committee. The BTA was instrumental in advocating for a delay in implementing the requirements of WHTI at land and sea border crossings to accommodate the urgent need for public outreach about the secure travel program's requirements as well as to allow sufficient time for DHS and State to update technology and infrastructure at the many ports of entry along the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders. The BTA was also successful in pressing for the acceptance of a low-cost, wallet-sized passport alternative, which is now known as the PASS Card, as well as other current secure traveler documents such as NEXUS and SENTRI cards and the new Enhanced Drivers Licenses now being issued by Washington State and others to be accepted at land border crossings as alternatives to a passport.

In December of 2007, the BTA held a Regional Event in Nogales, Arizona that brought federal officials in charge of managing WHTI's implementation together with border community leaders to discuss the program's implementation at land ports of entry. The BTA next is holding the first of a series of community events, "Our Borders, Our Futures," in Yuma, Arizona on September 19th to promote learning, understanding and positive action toward several policies in motion, including WHTI, that impact cross-border commerce and trade in U.S. border regions.