The enhanced driver’s license is a voluntary program established by the Department of Homeland Security in the wake of mounting criticism over gridlock at borders caused by tighter security and also the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative that dictated the use of passports to re-enter the U.S. from Mexico or Canada.

Under the program, applicants would pay an additional fee of $75 and agree to specialized images that rely on facial recognition technology rather than traditional photographs by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Thorough background checks would be required. Only those eligible for U.S. passports could apply.

But critics worry about potential invasions of privacy, the threat of stealing personal information and counterfeiting documents.