U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff on Thursday was expected to announce passport requirement changes for minors crossing United States-Canada borders. Speaking with anonymous U.S. officials, The Canadian Press reports that exempting children age 16 and younger from the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is meant to be a goodwill gesture to alleviate U.S. and Canadian fears that the new passport requirements would hinder tourism between the two countries. The move also would simplify travel for families, sports teams, youth groups and school field trips, the news noted, adding that the exemption will only apply to land-border crossings, not air travel.
