Right now, you’re able to select the appropriate gender marker on your passport without a note from a medical professional (and a passport can be used in the vast majority of situations you’d use a birth certificate) but because the self select gender marker was done by executive action, it’s extremely likely to be reversed when Trump takes office.
Also, having one might be a good idea in general.
Another tip: A passport card is considered as valid as a passport book within the US, but it is much cheaper to obtain. It is conclusive proof of citizenship and an authoritative RealID-compliant identity card, just like a passport book. Passport cards are valid for land and sea travel within North America and the Caribbean. They’re not valid for international air travel (but they can be used for domestic flights).
Edit: Upgrading from a passport card to a passport book is considered a renewal rather than a new application. You can still keep the card if you later want to “renew” it for a book.
This sounds like exactly the type of thing they’ll reverse, either through executive action or pushing through the GOP Congress and Supreme Court. If you can afford it, go for the full US passport.
Honestly, I doubt they’d mess with the cards. They’re extremely common and useful for people who live in border states - Minnesota encourages them at our DMVs, and if you know about the northwest angle it’s likely a big part of why.
What incentive would they have to tamper with passport cards? They’re pretty popular in the border regions as an inexpensive way to get an international travel document.
They are also mentioned in several international treaties, particularly with Canada and Mexico. The president doesn’t have the power to unilaterally abrogate those treaties.
The cruelty is the point. If the fascists see people using those to flee they might get it in their head to restrict access to them or refuse to recognize them as valid. I’m not saying people shouldn’t take advantage of them now, but if people can get the full passport book it might be better anyway. Canada has their own far-right that is on the verge of taking over. And Trump has threatened to fire missiles at Mexico.
Trump has threatened to be a dictator on day one and is planning to staff the government with loyalists who will do what he says. There’s a chance he won’t respect treaties while in office and instruct border patrol to deny people with those cards access to border crossings. What are Canada and Mexico going to do about it?
The Nazis are known for not respecting documents so they could kill people.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/new-research-reveals-how-the-nazis-targeted-transgender-people-180982931/
Again, it’s fine to take advantage of this now. And people should definitely be told about this, because for some people it might be their only feasible option. There’s a reason people are worried, that’s all. edit: typos
There is currently no exit border control in the US and the border with Canada is thousands of kilometres long, most of it unpatrolled. There are lots of tiny towns which are split in twain by the border. It is just not feasible from a manpower perspective to guard the entire border like the Iron Curtain.
Even if Trump says he’s unilaterally abrogating the treaty on the validity of passport cards with Canada, who gives a shit when you need to flee because it’s only a question of whether Canadian authorities will recognise the validity of a passport card.
Home countries cancelling refugees’ travel documents has never been a successful strategy to prevent them from going to other countries. Other countries know what physical attributes an otherwise-valid travel document would have and it’s not like they can physically take the card away from everyone.
That assumes Canada will be safe after their 2025 election. For now Canada is probably going to be a safer place to be than the US once the fascists take power here. The issue is then being stuck in Canada if you don’t have a passport book in the event the far-right takes over there as well.
We are seeing the global rise of fascism right now, so the places that are safe will probably continue to dwindle. People should do what they feel they need to be safe. But its important to point out that the problem is not as simple as getting out of the United States. If a person finds they are in a position where they can only get this card and move to Canada they should totally do it if that’s how they can be safe. Don’t let me or anyone else stop you.
The passport card is valid for sea travel as well.
To the Caribbean right?
https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/25159.jpeg
So that would leave Cuba. Better than nothing.
I’m pretty sure Cuba is a bad choice for… other reasons
Let them reverse it then. That is no reason to not get one now.