Border Protection Sees Rise In False Documents At Border
Derek Shore-KFOX News Reporter
Friday, December 19, 2008 – updated: 9:38 pm MST December 19, 2008

EL PASO, Texas -- The Western Travel Initiative now requires travelers crossing from Mexico into the United States to show a passport or other official document to prove citizenship.

“CBP no longer accepts oral declarations at our land border," said Ofc. Rick Lopez, of Customer and Border Protection.

That means you can no longer just say "I'm American" to cross back into the states.

"U.S. Citizens entering the country are required to provide a form of identification," Lopez said.

In June 2009 only a passport will suffice. With the stricter laws in place at the border, officers have seen a rise in fraudulent documents.

"We average weekly anywhere from 90 to 150 immigration apprehensions,â€