Silver Gonzales sat for her picture because beginning on Monday she needs a passport to cross into Mexico. Gonzales said, "Just applying for my passport, so I won't have trouble, no problems going back and forth."
On June 1, U.S. citizens must present a passport to travel in the Western Hemisphere that includes border crossings in Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. There are a few exceptions to the rule especially for people on cruise ships.
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Andres Rodriguez said the requirements should not slow travel, because new passports have embedded electronic chips. Rodriguez said, "So you won't have to swipe it. You won't have to physically put it in a machine or anything. The information is read via radio frequency waves so as you are walking through they will be able to verify the photo and information that's on the car with the person in front of them."
Travel agent Linda Jason said most of her clients have avoided travel nightmares. Jason said, "I haven't heard of anyone getting to the airport and not having a passport and being denied boarding. Because when they have a travel agent, they ask those questions a head of time."
Jason recommends everyone checking arraignments twice before taking their next trip.
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