anyone travel to Mexico for surgery w/o passport??

Also, I live in San Diego and you really don't want to not have it--San Ysidro is the busiest border crossing in the world and let's face it, you don't **** around in a foreign country. Also, you may take the van, but you still have to get out of the van and cross through on foot and then the van will pick you up on the U.S. side.

Also, I was just in T.J. with my sister last Friday when she had the sleeve...and they DID ask me for my passport when I crossed...do whatever you want, but dude, that's going to suck if you get the guy who asks for your passport and then gives you a super hard time when you already feel bad.

 Yes, the law changed sometime ago (except for cruise ships, if you leave and return to the same port you do not need a passport) HOWEVER, my son visits Mexico quite frequently and takes a CERTIFIED copy of his birth certificate and his drivers license. I too have come back with just my certified copy and birth certificate. I can't guarantee anything, but you will probably be fine, but you really should get a certified copy of your birth certificate and have that with you along with your drivers license or identification. the law says you need a passport, but honestly, they never have asked me for it. My brother in law is a boarder patrol and even he says its unlikely you'd be asked for it. Good Luck on your surgery :)

 P.S. - We cross through in San Diego :) 

You don't need the passport to get into Mexico, but you need it to get back into the U.S. I crossed the border in the same situation you will be in (a van full of medical patients) and they did check our passports.

 When entering the country by land or sea here are the possible documents, according to the Know Before You Go booklet from US Customs and Border Patrol:

One of the following documents may be presented to prove both identity and citizenship:

• U.S. Passport;

• U.S. Passport Card;*

• Trusted Traveler Cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST);*

• State issued Enhanced Driver’s License (when avail-

  able this secure driver’s license will denote identity

  and citizenship);*

• Enhanced Tribal Cards (when available);*

• U.S. Military identification with Military Travel

  Orders;

• U.S. Merchant Marine document;

• Form I-872 American Indian Card.
  
  The link to the Know Before yOU Go Book is:
  
  http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/kbyg_regulations.ctt/kbyg_regulations.pdf 

Note: the "enhanced" driver's licesnse is NOT a regular driver's license.  It has some kind of technology on it that keeps up with the same information that would be on the passport card, and it is only available in certain states. 

Like AngelaAnn said, I would be very afraid of going out there, having the surgery, and then not being able to come home.  Call the people who handle passports and find out if you can pay after the fact to have it expedited.  If not, you really may need to push your surgery back to allow more time for the passport to arrive.

The person I was in the van with forgot her birth cert. and passport at home. They still let her through.. Gave her a bunch of crap. You have more to show them then she did. I had a enhanced drivers license. They just scanned it and I was good to go. Do you any paperwork from filing for the passport?? That would help also.
Julie

I had my surgery in Mexico in March and I was required to show my passport when crossing back to the US.

 You drive right through, into Mexico with out it, but all our passports in the van were checked while entering the states. Can't you pay extra to have a rush put on the passport?