Trump administration to restore Global Entry program as DHS shutdown impacts travel
By Hanna Park, CNN
(CNN) — The Trump administration said international travel program Global Entry would be restored on Wednesday morning, reopening a fast-track system that had been halted last month during an ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
“As DHS continually evaluates measures it can take amidst the Democrats’ continued shutdown of the department, DHS will be reactivating Global Entry on March 11th at 5:00 AM ET. We are working hard to alleviate the disruptions to travelers caused by the Democrats’ shutdown,” a DHS spokesperson told CNN in a statement.
The move was presented as a step to mitigate airport disruptions with the funding standoff in its fourth week.
On February 22, the department announced that it would stop processing Global Entry travelers at participating airports after its funding lapsed on February 14, when lawmakers failed to reach agreement on a spending bill.
At the time, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said personnel would be reassigned to focus on the “general traveling population at our airports and ports of entry,” calling it a necessary reallocation of resources. A similar decision to suspend domestic program TSA PreCheck was quickly reversed.
The funding lapse stems from a broader dispute over immigration enforcement.
Democrats in Congress have sought new restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal immigration agents, including requiring judicial warrants for certain home arrests, mandating visible identification and limiting the use of face coverings during operations. Republicans have opposed several of those proposals, arguing that the changes would hinder enforcement.
The suspension of Global Entry, long promoted by the government as a time-saving benefit for frequent international travelers, drew swift criticism from Democratic lawmakers and industry groups.
Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York accused the administration of using “bully tactics” by targeting airport operations during the standoff. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, said the move appeared designed to “punish the American people.”
The US Travel Association had previously urged the department to reverse course, saying the suspension would swell standard inspection lines, strain border officers and weaken security by diverting attention from higher-risk travelers.
“Global Entry is far more than a convenience, it is on the front line of national security. Its more than 13 million members undergo rigorous background checks, interviews and vetting. Suspending it doesn’t just slow lines. It increases costs and strips away a layer of security infrastructure that took years to build,” the association said.
Global Entry, operated by US Customs and Border Protection, allows preapproved American citizens and lawful permanent residents returning from abroad to bypass standard passport-control lines using automated kiosks. Applicants pay a fee, undergo background checks and interviews, and, if approved, receive the benefit for up to five years.
Although much of the department continues to operate despite the funding lapse, and officials have said essential security functions remain intact, the shutdown has produced visible strains. In recent days, at airports across the country, security lines have stretched for hours as staffing shortages affect checkpoint operations, while Global Entry remains closed.
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CNN’s Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report.
