WASHINGTON – Travelers who did not obtain a REAL ID by this week’s deadline were assured by Homeland Security’s top official that they will be able to fly following additional identity checks. Her comments came on Tuesday, as people waited in enormous lines outside government facilities from California to Chicago to update their IDs before the long-delayed deadline.
Kristi Noem told a congressional subcommittee that 81% of travelers already had REAL IDs. She added security checks will also take passports and tribal identification when the deadline arrives on Wednesday.
Those who do not have identification that complies with the REAL ID requirement “may be diverted to a different line, with an extra step,” Noem warned.
“But people will be allowed to fly,” she continued. “We will make sure it is as seamless as possible.”
The Transportation Security Administration advised passengers who do not have a REAL ID to arrive early and be prepared for advanced screening to prevent delays.
“I do not believe this will cause people to miss their flights if they take that extra time,” said Thomas Carter, the TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey. “I think there is that self-responsibility of the law that they need to know, give themselves that extra time, and if they do that, they should not have an issue.”
To satisfy the demand, government offices around the country extended their operating hours. Despite this, some people queued for hours Tuesday to obtain a REAL ID before the long-delayed deadline.
Renel Leggett, a college student from West Chester, Pennsylvania, spent hours getting her REAL ID and was unhappy about it.
“I have been out here for three hours to get one ID when I have already had one that should have lasted me until about 2029,” Leggett told the crowd.
“You must do it. But it seems like a waste of time,” she explained.
REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that Homeland Security describes as a more secure form of identification. It was recommended by the 9/11 Commission and enacted into law in 2005.
The commission suggested that the government establish security requirements for state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs. It was planned to be released in 2008. However, the implementation has been frequently delayed.
A REAL ID will be required not only for domestic flights, but also for entry to certain federal buildings and institutions.
In recent weeks, Noem has warned the American public about the impending deadline. In a Homeland Security television advertisement, she emphasized that these IDs were required for air travel and entry into public facilities, adding, “These IDs keep our country safe.”
A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license has a symbol (usually a star) in the top corner of the card.
In California, approximately 58% of all driver’s license and ID cardholders carry a REAL ID. The state has extended the hours of some Department of Motor Vehicles offices until June 27 to assist more people in obtaining the federally necessary identification.
Officials also warn citizens that if they currently have a valid U.S. passport, they can utilize it and wait to upgrade to a REAL ID when their ID or driver’s license is up for renewal.
Lucas Krump was traveling to San Francisco on business from Newark, New Jersey, on Tuesday and said he was going through security with a passport.
“I do not have a license that is Real ID,” he informed me. “I am questioning the bureaucracy surrounding it. It feels like an attack on normal people, having to upgrade their licenses and all of their credentials for something that, you know, seemed to have worked well without it.”
There were no huge lineups at the Driver Services Bureau in Jackson, Mississippi, on Tuesday, and everyone received their REAL IDs immediately.
Marion Henderson stated before entering that she intends to travel to California, Michigan, Chicago, and New York this year and wants to be prepared.
“Even though I have my license, now that it is required, I wanted to go ahead and get it done” before the deadline, Henderson explained.