[PLUG] Re: Off To Canada, Redux

[Russ Johnson]

Jason wrote:

>The last time I crossed into Canada, they only asked for a driver's
>license to look me up on their computer systems.  Crossing back in the
>US, they only asked for a driver's license to look me up on their
>computer system.  Granted, this was before the whole 9-11 incident and
>they are prone to be more anal these days at the border.
>  
>
March of this year, a DL was not "good enough". We had our drivers 
licenses (all four adults) in a non-descript Chevrolet Cavalier with 
plain Oregon plates. All four adults are related, and live at two 
different Oregon addresses. Nothing that should have been a red flag.

Yet we spent nearly an hour at the immigration office at the border 
because we did not have proof of citizenship.

Coming back into the US was actually easier than leaving, although, the 
first question our of the US border guards mouth after looking at our 
ODLs was, "And do you have proof of citizenship?"

>Officially, I am sure, you will need proof of US Citizenship.  Which, in
>our country, is either a passport or birth certificate.  And if you ask
>the official channels, you will be told this.
>
We asked prior to making our plans. We were told to bring "ID". We were 
not told to bring proof of citizenship. To me, my DL *IS* ID. I had no 
reason to think otherwise.

I happen to have birth certificates for all four adults, since two are 
my kids, and the other adult is their mother. As I said we're all related.

>  And I am sure the border
>guards could detain you if you fail to provide this documentation.  But
>would you actually be detained if you only had a driver license?  I
>would think probably not.
>  
>
Wrong. We were told to go to Immigration. The woman at immigration told 
us that if any of us had criminal convictions, we would be denied entry 
and escorted back across the border and placed in custody. The US border 
guards would then process us to determine if we were to be detained by 
US officials.

This is what the border offical told us, and I have no reason to doubt 
what she said. She did produce a sheet of paper with every traffic 
violation I had committed since I was 16. This at least proved that I'd 
been in the US for a while...

>Coincidentally, Oregon is one of the few states that do not require you
>to submit or show a valid US Birth Certificate or other documentation of
>legal US residency to get a driver's license.  But I hear this may
>change in the future, as the Patriot Act and its supporters apply
>pressure.
>  
>
It's already changing. The Oregon congress is hearing arguments and may 
change that law by the end of this session. I have no idea what this 
will require of present license holders. If they grandfather in present 
license holders, then the requirement is pretty bogus.

-- 
Russ Johnson
Dimension 7/Stargate Online
http://www.dimstar.net

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