Do I Need to Start Carrying My Passport When I Go To Tombstone?

It's an emotional topic and I have mixed feelings about it.

The U.S. Border Patrol now has a permanent check-point at Highways 80 and 82, just outside of Tombstone, and everyone leaving town that direction is now stopped. The Border Patrol agents are very nice. (And I would say most of them are stud-muffins but I'll leave that for another post.) 99.9% of the time they wave me right through. I even once had one comment that he liked my period attire. He really thought reenacting was cool.

I do not want people coming into this country illegally, whether be sneaking across the Mexican or Canadian borders, or even coming here from Europe or Australia on tourist visas and staying after they expire. However I have real mixed emotions about these Border Patrol check points

One of our fundamental rights in this country is the right to travel freely. This past Saturday, while on the way home from Wyatt Earp Days in Tombstone, the Border Patrol agent asked me about my citizenship. Here I was in my 1880's period attire, in a vehicle with Arizona license plates and a Tombstone Vigilantes sticker on the rear window. Hello! He was polite, but it really made me feel uncomfortable. It immediately brought to mind images of the Third Riech and the Gestapo officer saying, "Your papers please."

Do I now need to carry my U.S. Passport with me when I go to Tombstone?

GM