The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has delayed the deadline for air travelers to have a REAL ID by another two years,
marking the third time this deadline has been extended.

In a statement on Monday, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced,
“This extension will give states needed time to
ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification
card. DHS will also use this time to implement innovations to make the process
more efficient and accessible. We will continue to ensure that the American
public can travel safely.”

The program, which was scheduled to
begin in May 2023, will now not go into effect until May 7, 2025. The REAL ID Act was originally signed in 2005, making the delay reach up to 20 years since the signing.

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The new identification
rules direct that any flyer over the age of 18 will need to have a REAL
ID-issued driver’s license or another federally approved identification card if
they are opting to fly domestically.

Following the
announcement, Twitter users took to the social media platform to communicate
their dissatisfaction over this delay.

“REAL ID enforcement
pushed back to May 7, 2025. This is actually comical. The REAL ID Act was
signed into law in 2005. Original enforcement was supposed to start in 2008.
We’re now not looking at full enforcement until 2025. At this point, what’s the
point?”, one user wrote.

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Another Twitter user
wrote, “Faux security? REAL ID Act air travel deadline extended to 2025, which
will be TWENTY YEARS since it was enacted when I was at DHS–you would think it
might occur to Congress that requirement isn’t needed given 20-year time-lapse
& 100s of millions spent.”

“On the topic of REAL
ID, can we just cancel it instead of postponing it? It clearly serves no
purpose other than to stress people out as they for random documents and wait
in long lines.”, a third netizen wrote. 

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Check out some of the tweets here:

A debate also emerged on Twitter about the necessity of the ID. While many people pointed out the benefits stating the everyday use and requirement of the ID, others who are troubled with the ongoing delay demanded a total cancellation of the card.