Trump administration blocks New York's travelers from joining Global Entry "Travel should not be politicized" says trade group

DHS has blocked residents of New York state from Global Entry DHS has blocked residents of New York state from Global Entry Photo: Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle 2018 Buy photo Photo: Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle 2018 Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Trump administration blocks New York's travelers from joining Global Entry 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

The Department of Homeland Security told New York state officials this week that the state’s residents will no longer be allowed to join the Global Entry trusted traveler program effective immediately, or to renew their membership if it expires. DHS cited a New York law passed last year that bars the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles from providing driver’s license and vehicle registration data to DHS.

The ban also applies to the NEXUS and SENTRI transborder trusted traveler programs — but not to the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program. Because New York State borders Canada, many travelers there rely on the NEXUS program for speedier re-entry. Global Entry allows vetted and approved U.S. travelers to obtain speedier clearance in Customs and Border Protection checks when they return from abroad.

The change only affects those applying for or renewing membership. Current members are okay for now, but could run into problems when their memberships expire. (Global Entry is good for five years and costs $100.)

New York State residents sign up for Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI at an estimated rate of about 150,000 a year.

“Although DHS would prefer to continue our long-standing cooperative relationship with New York on a variety of these critical homeland security initiatives, this Act and the corresponding lack of security cooperation from the New York DMV requires DHS to take immediate action to ensure DHS’s efforts to protect the homeland are not compromised,” Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said in a letter to state officials. Wolf announced the move during an interview on Fox News.

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The DHS ban is the latest and most significant attack in the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign against so-called “sanctuary cities,” which limits a local government’s cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In December of last year, the change in New York State law made it possible for immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses regardless of their legal status.

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Wolf’s letter said the New York law “prevents DHS from accessing relevant information that only New York DMV maintains, including some aspects of an individual’s criminal history. As such the Act compromises CBP’s ability to confirm whether an individual applying for TTP (trusted traveler program) membership meets program eligibility requirements.”

The U.S. Travel Association, an industry trade group, blasted the DHS ban. "Travel should not be politicized. Trusted traveler programs enhance our national security because they provide greater certainty regarding a person's identity, citizenship, and criminal background,” said USTA executive VP Tori Emerson Barnes. “Suspending enrollment in Global Entry and other trusted traveler programs only undermines travel security and efficiency. We are in contact with the Department of Homeland Security to convey this message."

A spokesperson for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the DHS action was “obviously political retaliation by the federal government, and we’re going to review our legal options,” according to The New York Times.

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Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE biweekly email updates!

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