The U.S. Travel Association has reacted strongly to the Trump Administration’s announcement that New York state residents can no longer apply for some of the Department of Homeland Security’s trusted traveler programs, including Global Entry.
The new policy is in reaction to New York’s recently enacted “Green Light Law,” which allows motor vehicles departments in the state to issue licenses to qualified state residents regardless of their immigration status. The “sanctuary” law makes it harder for the government to access state driving records.
“Travel should not be politicized,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, U.S. Travel Association’s executive vice president for public affairs, in a statement. “Trusted traveler programs enhance our national security because they provide greater certainty regarding a person's identity, citizenship, and criminal background. 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.”
The affected programs include Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST. The new rule does not affect existing memberships until it is time to re-enroll. However, DHS has said that as many as 150,000 New Yorker apply to the programs each year.
