In the years following the September 11, 2001 attacks, strong focus on national security by policymakers led to a radical change in air travel. But more than twenty years later, a major requirement for the birth of that era has not yet come into effect.
On May 7, Americans will eventually be asked to provide a real ID card to board domestic flights.
The law provides for the actual ID passed in 2005, but its implementation has been repeatedly delayed over the years. The Trump administration argued that the deadline had been delayed long enough and asserted that travelers had enough time to collect necessary documents for a stricter form of identification.
However, critics believe that the urgency and necessity of the measure is questionable if the deadline can be pushed back to nearly 20 years without any flight-based terrorist attacks.
What is a real ID? Deadline Method for New ID Cards Flying in the country
Close-up of the sign prompts people to ensure they have real ID cards before traveling. (Fox News)
Essentially, the True Identity Act aims to bridge the security gap that terrorists can exploit. Prior to 9/11, the criteria for issuing driver's licenses and other IDs varied greatly between states, with few key documents such as birth certificates and social security numbers coordinated or verified. Several of the 9/11 hijackers were able to use fraud files to obtain legal status IDs, allowing them to move freely and board the plane without detection.
The 9/11 Committee report released in 2004 strongly recommended the establishment of national identification standards as counter-terrorism measures. Congress acted quickly, embedding actual ID rules into a wider defense and emergency spending bill, a strategic move that helped ensure its speedy passage.
Actual ID requires states to verify the authenticity of key documents - birth certificate, social security number and address certificate. It also requires IDS to use security features that are more resistant to tampering.
What is the comment of the Bush administration's 9/11 committee on the actual ID legislation?
Overview The logo of the document required for real ID is hung in the motor vehicle office in Troy, New York. (Jim Franco/Albany Times by Getty Images)
The law has caused controversy from the very beginning. Civil liberties groups are concerned about privacy, data security and the emergence of what some people call "national ID cards." Many states have objected to costs, logistical challenges and fear of federal excessiveness. The compliance deadline has been extended several times as states upgrade their systems and negotiate a balance between security and individual rights.
IDs require not only flights, but also access to certain government facilities and nuclear sites. Some advocates, for example The New York Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Unionconcerns about the possibility of eventually requiring ID to obtain government benefits and apply for jobs.
"The American people need to know that real ID cards will be required to travel on May 7, so these governors are told to communicate this at home. We do not want anyone to be delayed when they arrive at the airport and cannot travel," Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said at a cabinet meeting earlier this month.
(The actual ID requirement has been prompted for a long line at the DMV.)
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President Donald Trump reiterated the real ID requirement in an executive order signed on March 25.
“This will also help us restore integrity to all our IDs, and how they are used, how they are used to issue driver’s licenses. And, the Governor knows that I feel about ensuring the driver’s license system is honest because a lot of people use the driver’s licenses and the integrity of our country’s backbone and backbone and foundation.”