Public forum to be held in East Grand Forks at request of Sen. Norm Coleman

In response to a request from U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman to provide constituents with the latest information regarding new border crossing regulations under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, officials from the State Department, Customs and Border Protection, and Canada will participate in a panel discussion and forum on June 27 in East Grand Fork, Minn.
On June 28 and 29, members of Coleman’s staff will visit International Falls, Baudette Thief River Falls, Karlstad, Warroad, Crookston, Duluth, Grand Marais and Virginia to further discuss the new rules implementation and enforcement with these communities.
Members of the public are encouraged to participate and will have an opportunity to voice their opinions and ask questions at the event from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at City Hall at 600 Demers Avenue in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.
Officials will discuss the recently announced proposal for land implementation of WHTI and its impact on Minnesotans, particularly those along the border with Canada. The meeting follows the federal government’s June 20 decision to pursue a flexible implementation schedule for the WHTI land and sea rule, permitting land travel between Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean with a driver's license and birth certificate until at least the summer of 2008, instead of the original January, 2008 deadline. The proposal will also ensure that citizens have the option of less costly alternatives to passports, including passport cards.
“This is a great opportunity to get everyone on the same page and address the concerns of folks who will be most affected by these rule changes,” Coleman said. “The flexibility announced by the Departments will help, but Minnesotans still have very real concerns about the travel initiative. This forum will be another good opportunity for the Federal agencies to hear first hand from Minnesotans about their views.”
“I look forward to visiting East Grand Forks, Minnesota,” said Teresa Bobotek, Regional Director of the Seattle Passport Agency. “Due to the implementation of the first phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, requiring passports for air travel to Canada and Mexico, the passport demand is at an unprecedented level. At the Seattle and all of the other 17 passport agencies we are working overtime, hiring more staff, and expanding our production capacity to meet the demand.”