true, and many airlines do technically require them for lap children.
Fact remains CBP can ask, in this case it did not seem to matter.
I owned a home in the USVI for three and half years and in that time I saw CBP asking all the normal inane questions they ask people here, there. Right or wrong, like it or not, that is what they do.

I disagree. The birth certificate would show that the OP had a child the same age and sex as the one she had with her. Nothing more.

About 10 years ago me an my son was going to Sweden (our birth country). Son was 13 tears old. We are legal residents .

I got an attitude from immigration coming back into the counrty.
Reason was we had different last names.

They wanted to call his father in Sweden. I said go a head .The father doesnt really speak english at all. They had problems with that.
Plus I told them how could I kidnap a teenager. It is not like I could carry him around.

They let us back in to our home. Only time they acted stupid in my eyes.

.... and finding such people is indeed a rather common method for human trafficking very young minor children into the US, primarily for family reunification purposes when a parent/guardian is an undocumented alien in the US.

That a passport is not required does not mean they will not ask for ID.

The US State Department "suggests" you should carry ID and birth certtificate when traveling to PR & USVI.

I take this to mean that w/o these you will get in and back to the 50 states, but it might cause issues to not have them.

but what if the dad name was diffrent, then they would need a letter from the bio dad AS WELL ALONG WITH AN ID. when we travel with my niece i always get a letter from her parents even though she is 16 & has a DL.

Yes, especially if the child is adopted :rolleyes:

Yes and the day care center in my town is also in a state.

I actually know this guy who has a fake Hawaii birth certificate...

--Jon

Most places are states (e.g. Russia, RoK, NY: a state that is in the state that is the United States of America etc.) :D

The US Department of State is not something that regularly deals with relations between US "states". AFAIK US territories are in a state: the US.

Sorry... carry on.

Rather ironic suggestion when the US considers those territories part of the US and when the US has made a stink of PR-issued ID and birth certificates. :eek:

There is no legal requirement to make the government's life easier in ways not required by law; so for travel between the mainland and SJU, not sure why the typical US citizens should go through carrying a certified copy of a birth certificate and risk having to pay replacement costs or identity theft.

This thread is about taking a baby to the USVI, something I would never even consider doing without some type of ID for the baby.

It's got nothing at all do to with other domestic travel.

But is it really that hard to carry a birth certificate around if you are carrying a baby around? Many people, like myself, believe you are better to have it and never need it than you are to be asked for it and not have it. I would never consider boarding a airplane with a child traveling anywhere without it. Even if I never need it.

And yeah, I must have been mistaken believing there's any child trafficking (which is way different than kidnapping) in the Caribbean at all. So must be the media, the customs people, the report to congress a few years ago, and all the human rights organizations. They are all probably just making it all up.

IMHO It is very irresponsible for parents to travel anywhere without the birth certificate (the only legal ID) of their child.

It is accepted proof of identity of the child and the parental/guardian relationship.

One example: if anything happens to the child and medical attention is needed, without a birth certificate to ascertain your legal connection and your authority to act on their behalf your child will be subjected to whatever the doctor/local authorities' treatment without your input.

Elizabeth Smart
Jaycee Dugard and her 2 daughters
Steven Stayner

To name a few more widely known cases; there have been many others of abducted children and teens held through brainwashing and threats against them and their families or others.

I'm not saying the CBP questions they way they are done are useful or justified, or will catch every case, but it's not as simple as above.

I hear what you are saying.

In my case was that me and son both speak swedish/english. Have swedish passports.

A minor child in Sweden cant get an passport unless both parents sign the paper work for a passport.

Plus you can tell that he is my son.He is very much looking like me.:D