I just read an article in the L.A. Times today. The Mexican government is upset at the U.S. because of the poor border control. Apparently the recent surge in deaths by gun toting drug cartels are due to the transparent border. The U.S. can't keep guns from crossing the borders, but they are hell on water bottles.

Potentially interesting legal situation -- Skeltor is claiming he will put an end to "oral declarations" -- when someone presents themselves at the border, declares themselves to be a citizen and asks for re-admission. The fact is, irrespective of what documents or whatever someone may or may not be able to present, if you are a US citizen, they cannot deny you entry, and the burden of proof is on them. So all it would take to bring this approach down is one person who refused to produce a passport at the border. It would take months, if not years, but the courts would have no option but to eventually rule that the individual must be admitted.

...while that person cools his heels in a slammer somewhere, and the Government issues whatever administrative and criminal penalties that it can....

Where I'm seeing this going is that the burden of proof will rest in the hands of the person attempting re-entry. No passprt, no entry!

So don't go down to Juarez or Tijuana and get rolled and have your wallet stolen.

This might be a little OT, but I saw on another board that Chertoff holds dual citizenship- US / Israeli.

Is this the case? If so, I can't help but think that it is a conflict of interest to have a cabinet secretary that might have the interests of another nation in their thought process.

If this is true, at least we can all sleep well knowing that he's not in the line of presidential succession...

The worst part of this is that advanced is defined as at least 48hours before you leave. That'S what I have heard. So no last minute travel to the US.

So in my humble opinion. Mr Cherthoff just stop the Visa Waiver program. I give a crap about this Visa Waiver program because with all the add-ons you and the DHS added the Visa Waiver prgram is a farce. Still you and the DHS don't have the balls to end the Visa Waiver because this would hurt the economy really bad. Instead you fight the evil water bottle and collect tons of data of harmless people in which the one hint who might could lead to a bad guy gets just lost.

Last time I went across a land-crossing to Mexico, we just walked through a one-way gate. No Mexican Immigrations or Customs Agents to even be seen.

Returning to the United States, we had to satisfy to a CBP agent that we were American and they also had the option of going through our belongings if they wished to.

Inspector just asked our country of citizenship and was satisfied. We were cleared into the United States.

Perhaps Mexico is doing a poor job securing their borders? @:-)

With respect to rural areas where there is no "wall" the CBP monitors the area. Do the Mexican Authorities monitor their side of the border just as well?

Ditto - well said.

I will inject that I read somewhere that the 48 hrs was for people who had advance purchase tickets, etc., but that it would still be possible to buy a last minute ticket and "advance information" would be sent through another channel. At any rate, the amount of info the US govt is collecting through advance info grabs is just way too much.

Chertoff is an embarrassment to the United States and is a bloody lunatic. As Spiff said, let the floggings begin. Once the Bush administration is out, I can only pray who gets into office will spend quality time to rollback the programs Chertoff is pushing forward with, reform the CBP so that visitors are actually welcomed, and then take quality time to repair international relations.

If Bush had any common sense, he would order Chertoff to stop talking to the press and spewing all of this crap such as his recent statements about how Europe is a large threat to the US.

How about an entire administration ?

Anyway, Chertoff was born on November 28, 1953 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to an Israeli mother, Livia Chertoff, and Rabbi Gershon Chertoff (citizenship unknown). Any child born on or after July 14, 1952, at least one of whose parents was an Israeli citizen is a de jure Israeli regardless of the child's country of birth .

Oh heavens no!!!!!

I always was a little sad that someone famous wasn't born on my birthday. And now I found out that this idiot shares my birthday?

What is de jure?

It's true. We already had to play this game coming from Germany back in October. Got an e-mail from Lufthansa before flight asking to fill in the blanks or risk not being able to fly.

Interesting tidbit of knowledge there regarding Israeli citizenship.

What are the chances of him taking a trip to Israel and getting snapped up to perform his obligatory military service? Wouldn't that be a laugh?

"de jure"

Latin for "by law".

As for Chertoff getting drafted into the Israeli military, wouldn't it be even more of a laugh if he went to prison for "evading" military service?

Wait, can you have dual US-Israeli citizenship? But if he renounced his Israeli citizenship, then they can't do anything to him. I'm pretty sure, even in Israel, you're innocent until proven guilty.