This post as been reprinted by permission by Jaszy McAllister of Modern Hippie Mag.

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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

Washington, D.C – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Pascua Yaqui Tribe today announced the production of the first ever Enhanced Tribal Card (ETC)—designed as a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant document that formally recognizes tribal membership and U.S. citizenship for the purpose of entering the United States through a land or sea port of entry. The Pascua Yaqui are the first tribe in the country to issue an ETC.

“Our collaboration with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe has resulted in the historic development of the first-ever Enhanced Tribal Card—bolstering security while facilitating travel,” said Secretary Napolitano.  “We look forward to continuing to build close partnerships with tribal nations across the country as we work together to make the border crossing process more secure and efficient.”

“This program strengthens an already great relationship with DHS keeping our Nation’s security at mind.  The Pascua Yaqui Tribe hopes that such a program will enhance the facilitation of ceremonial, family and business travel for our Yaqui members,” said Chairman Peter Yucupicio.

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe became the first tribe in Arizona to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the development of an ETC on May 27, 2009. Following more than a year of close coordination with CBP, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Enrollment Office began issuing ETCs to its membership on Monday, July 26.

The Pascua Yaqui ETC has document security features and radio frequency identification technology to meet the requirements of WHTI.  The ETC will be available to qualifying Pascua Yaqui Tribe members on a voluntary basis, and will include technology enabling the electronic verification of the member’s identity, tribal membership, and U.S. citizenship.

Designation of the ETC as a WHTI-compliant document for entry into the United States by land or sea will be published by CBP through a notice in the Federal Register in the coming months.

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe—located approximately sixty miles from the U.S.-Mexico border—has more than 17,000 members, many of whom have relatives residing on both sides of the border.  Both the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and its Yaqui cousins in Mexico regularly visit each other for religious, cultural, and tribal purposes.

WHTI is a joint initiative between DHS and the Department of State that implements a key 9/11 Commission recommendation and Congressional mandate to establish document requirements for travelers entering the United States who were previously exempt, including citizens of the United States and Canada. WHTI requires all U.S. and Canadian citizens, ages 16 and older to present a valid, acceptable travel document that denotes both identity and citizenship when entering the United States by land or sea.

Since 2009, CBP has also signed Memorandums of Agreement with the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, the Seneca of New York, the Tohono O’odham of Arizona, and the Coquille of Oregon to develop WHTI-compliant ETCs. CBP is currently working with approximately 15 additional tribes across the country on the ETC initiative.

For more information, please visit www.GetYouHome.gov or www.cbp.gov.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Government of Puerto Rico has approved an amendment that extends the validity of current Puerto Rico birth certificates for three months, through Sept. 30, 2010, to provide a transition period as the Island gears up to begin issuing new, more secure certificates starting July 1, 2010, announced Nicole Guillemard, executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA).

The purpose of the extension is to provide those Puerto Rico-born — who may need a birth certificate for an upcoming transaction — a three-month window to apply for and receive the new document during which time their current birth certificate will still be valid, Guillemard explained.

“Puerto Rico is issuing new birth certificates starting July 1 to combat fraud and protect the identity and credit of all people born on the Island.  Our goal with the three-month extension is to provide a smooth transition, especially to assist Puerto Ricans born in the Island who currently reside stateside, as they apply for the new, more secure birth certificates,” Guillemard said.

The Government of Puerto Rico has taken a number of steps to be ready for those applying for the new certificates, she said.  Earlier this year, PRFAA launched an information outreach campaign aimed at states with large Puerto Rican populations. In May, the Government launched an on-line application process through the E-Government website – www.pr.gov – to provide convenience and ease-of-use for those applying for the new certificate.

Last year, Puerto Rico enacted the new law which calls for issuing new, security-enhanced certificates beginning July 1, 2010 to address the unlawful use of Puerto Rico-issued birth certificates to commit identity theft and fraud.

The law was based on collaborations with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and addresses a concern specific to Puerto Rico, where in the past, many common official and unofficial transactions unnecessarily required the submission, retention, and storage of birth certificates.

As a result, hundreds of thousands of original birth certificates were stored without adequate protection, making them easy targets for theft.  This left Puerto Rico-born citizens vulnerable to identity theft, ruined credit, stolen Social Security benefits, and increased “random” security checks at airports, among others. In addition to issuing new birth certificates, the new law expressly prohibits any public or private entity in Puerto Rico from retaining an original birth certificate to end this practice.

So, if you are Puerto Rican and need a passport, apply now with your birth certificate before it is no longer valid, otherwise you may have to wait months to get a birth certificate!

This delicious, crispy Filipino eggroll-style appetizer is easy to prepare and a real crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients:

• Heat vegetable oil, add onions, and garlic let cook for 2 minutes, add ground beef. Cook until slightly brown, drain all excess fat
• Add all uncooked vegetables, salt & pepper, soy sauce; mix thoroughly. Refrigerate while assembling wrappers.
• First, cut the square wrappers in half from one corner to another into a triangle shape.
• In a bowl beat one egg to use as a paste.
• Add a spoonful of the meat & veggie mixture into the middle of the eggroll wrap. Dab a small amount of the egg on the closure when sealing up the lumpia like an envelope.
• Can freeze up to 2 months for best taste.
• Fry at 350°F until golden brown.

A limited number of U.S. Passport Cards issued on March 29, 2010 were found to be defective and therefore invalid at land border crossings or sea ports of entry. Affected individuals are being contacted and provided with passport card replacement procedures. The number of defective cards issued is 658.

If you were issued a U.S. Passport Card on March 29 and your card number falls within the following sequence, C03612551 through C03613550, your card may be defective. You will receive official notification via overnight delivery service if your card is defective. The notice will include instructions on how to return the defective passport card and receive an immediate replacement. You should not attempt to use the defective card at land border crossings or sea ports of entry since you may be stopped by border officials and be subject to additional screening.

Affected customers with questions should contact the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 or TDD/TTY at 1-888-874-7793 or via email at NPIC@state.gov between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., Monday-Friday, Eastern Time.

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Passport application fees are not only used to cover the costs of producing a U.S. Passport Book or Passport Card. Passport fees also cover the costs of providing emergency services for American citizens overseas in crisis situations, such as the current earthquake disaster in Haiti, helping Americans who have been the victims of crime while traveling or living abroad, and providing support to the families of American citizens who have died overseas.

Passport application fees enable us to keep up with technology and implement fraud prevention initiatives to protect the United States passport. The security features of the U.S. passport book have received high praise from document security specialists the world over. Investing in new technology to prevent passport fraud is one of our key priorities, and an ongoing initiative.

Passport fees fund the expansion of passport infrastructure and service, allowing us to offer more timely service to the traveling public, maintain high standards for adjudication in accordance with US citizenship laws, and provide appropriate attention to fraud vulnerabilities.

Over the last few years, the demand for passports has increased to an average of 15 million per year. In FY 2005, we issued 10.1 million passports; peaked at 18.4 million in FY 2007; and expect to issue over 15 million in FY 2010. To increase our presence in under-served areas, the Department has undertaken a systematic expansion of the passport network, particularly in communities affected by the land border-crossing requirements associated with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. By the end of FY 2010, we will have 23 agencies providing emergency passport services to the general public, three high-volume application processing centers, and two large-scale document print centers.

Effective July 13 passport fees are going way up!  All applications submitted prior to July 13^th may include the current rates.  If you are considering obtaining a passport make sure to do it now before the rates go up!  Swift Passport is offering a 10 day service for only $39 (normal $99).  We must receive your application no later than 10:30 on July 12^th to qualify.  Call 877.917.9438 to place your order and get more details.  Make sure to mention this special promotion!

Check out the new rates vs. the old rates below.  This limited offer will save you both money and time!