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The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires travelers to have a passport or other approved documentation to cross the United States border into Mexico and Canada. Customs officials said there were no back-ups Monday. But Slaughter said let's see how things are going when no one is watching. She and other House lawmakers will introduce legislation that, if approved, would require the departments of State and Homeland Security to report back on progress in six months. She said the total impact needs to be tracked, including any impact on the $1.9 billion of commerce that crosses the border each day.

The Congresswoman said there was little preparation for the new rules. And she said there really are no good documentation options for people who are used to traveling freely across the friendly, neighboring Canadian border.

Slaughter said she will continue pushing to have the rules for the Northern U.S. border tweaked, including a return to shared border management.

Slaughter said she is hopeful that changes can be made that will protect the economies of both Western New York and Canada. © Copyright 2009, WBFO