There are about 50,000 New Yorkers in the application process who have not been approved for the programs. Their application fees would be reimbursed, according to Heather Swift, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security.

The programs affected include Global Entry (for entry from abroad); NEXUS (for entry from Canada); SENTRI (for entry from Canada and Mexico) and FAST (for truck drivers entering the United States from Mexico).

Current members of the programs are not affected, though New Yorkers will not be able to renew their memberships. The TSA PreCheck program is not affected by the ban, but a Department of Homeland Security official said that could change.

The context

Federal officials said the ban was in response to New York’s so-called Green Light Law, a recently enacted measure that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. It also bars federal immigration officials from gaining access to the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles databases without a court order.

Why do Department of Homeland Security officials need access to the state database to vet applicants for the traveler programs?

Lawrence Payne, a Customs and Border Protection spokesman, said the database contained information like applicants’ traffic offenses, which would not regularly be available to the agency.

The precedent

New York is among 15 states that have passed green light laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.