CBP Enforces Binary Sex Codes and Enhanced US Passport Validation in APIS
Sex Field Requirements: Effective Oct. 14, 2025, CBP systems will only accept “M” (Male) or “F” (Female) in the sex field of APIS transmissions. Any other characters will result in an “X Response-Insufficient Information” error, requiring airlines to resubmit the passenger data with corrected information.
I don’t agree with the change, and I don’t see why your private parts should determine whether you can travel. However, I’m confused by the headline after reading an article about this
The article says they simply must make a binary choice on documents. But the headline says they are banned from travel.
Can’t they simply choose whatever box will get them their passport? Are they actually banned? Is the headline alarmist? (Even in the best case, I am very sure this will cause a lot of hassle for this poor minority group that gets repeatedly treated like a political football)
Edit: Specifically this part:
They’re saying “Your passport is invalid (meaning you can’t travel) unless it has a M or F designation.” Meaning they would have to update their passport with the “correct” information. Assuming of course they actually send back the updated passport.
This amounts to a “technically legal” way to confiscate the passports of anyone with a nonbinary gender marker.
Reports of Passport Never Came Back type confiscation from trans people over the last few is depressingly searchable. (yes, biden admin too.)
Yeah, I hadn’t heard about it happening before Trump took office again but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if some of the more ideological rank and file workers started preemptively slow walking some trans people’s passports they got their hands on once he won before it became a top down directive.
Either way the Republicans have been doing a ton of boundary pushing with what they can technically legally do since taking control again and this is definitely aimed at being a legal gray zone way to basically invalidate trans people’s passports. And of course now we can’t even get nation wide injunctions to stop it. Sure is great
It also needs to match your passport, plenty of people still have X on thier passport. So anyone with an X on thier passport can no longer use a plane to leave the country.
You meant the scenario is for American or resident non binary that will not be able to leave the country via plane because their current passport got X?
Correct, if I’m understanding it correctly, I am not a lawyer, it will also prevent you from entering the country via plane. They want M or F only.
I’m also pretty sure preventing a citizen from entering the country violates some international law, but I also could be wrong about that.
Thanks for the clarification. That is how I understand as well. Also not a lawyer.
Right gotcha, now the headline makes sense
I guess they’ll have to reapply for passports. This is total bullshit, especially when you’re messing with overseas residents