Udall Calls for Re-opening of Santa Fe Passport Office

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) sent a letter today to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging the re-opening of the Santa Fe Passport office.

The recent closure of the Santa Fe passport office has left area residents with no local passport office, forcing them to travel at least 50 miles roundtrip to the nearest passport office at the Los Alamos Post Office. The Los Alamos Post Office only operates between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

"Traveling to the Los Alamos Passport Office is simply not a viable option for hardworking New Mexicans who work full-time and unfairly burdens my constituents in the Santa Fe area. This is particularly concerning given that the holiday travel season is rapidly approaching," Udall states in the letter.

Currently, the U.S. Postal Service partners with the Bureau of Consular Affairs to ensure accessible passport services for residents. New Mexico has 44 Acceptance Facilities throughout the state -- most at Post Offices.

The complete text of the letter is below:

I write today to strongly urge you to recertify and promptly reopen the Santa Fe Passport Office. With nearly 3,000 applications taken in the past year and no local expedited service available, the need for a local Passport Office in the Santa Fe area is evident and pressing.

As you know, the Bureau of Consular Affairs partners with the United States Postal Service (USPS) to provide locally accessible passport services. This partnership recognizes the importance of providing local services, vastly improves customer service across the country and ensures that proper security measures can be taken to verify identity. However, the closure of the Santa Fe Passport Office now requires that my constituents drive at least 50 miles roundtrip to the Los Alamos Post Office during limited service hours. Traveling to the Los Alamos Passport Office is simply not a viable option for hardworking New Mexicans who work full-time and unfairly burdens my constituents in the Santa Fe area. This is particularly concerning given the holiday travel season is rapidly approaching.

I urge you to work with your partners at USPS to reopen the Santa Fe Passport Office as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator Tom Udall