The nearly two-week halt in funding from the Department of Homeland Security is hitting one group of travelers particularly hard: members of Global Entry, a program that expedites entry into the United States.
On Sunday, citing staffing issues, the department said it had suspended Global Entry and TSA PreCheck to reassign officers who are not being paid during the shutdown. While the department quickly reversed its decision to stop PreCheck, Global Entry remains paused.
Travelers have reported varying experiences at airport customs and immigration checkpoints since the announcement. At San Francisco International Airport, Global Entry kiosks are not functioning, but Customs and Border Protection, part of DHS, allows Global Entry members to use the priority lane, said Doug Yakel, an airport spokesman. He added that CBP continues to process interviews for conditionally approved Global Entry applicants.
However, Global Entry has been completely closed at airports in the New York area, said James Allen, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airports. Mr. Allen noted that passengers could still use Mobile Passport Control, an app that allows U.S. citizens and many other travelers to have shorter wait times at customs and immigration checkpoints.
Global Entry also appears to remain operational at some international airports approved to process travelers under the program, including Toronto Pearson International Airport.
DHS’ trusted travel programs, which include Global Entry and PreCheck, are extremely popular, with more than 40 million subscribers in 2024, according to TSA. Thirteen percent of all incoming air travelers use Global Entry, according to the US Travel Association, a trade group that promotes travel to and within the country.
The Global Entry program allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers from the United States and 22 other countries to enter the United States more quickly using facial recognition and leased lines. At most Global Entry points, a kiosk takes a photo of a member and interacting with an agent takes seconds. The program costs $120 for five years.
Industry associations criticized the decision to pause Global Entry. There was “no financial or logical justification” for the decision, US Travel said in a statement, adding that the program is funded primarily by membership fees and that it saved officers more than 300,000 hours last year alone.
“Global Entry is far more than just a convenience; it is at the forefront of national security. Its more than 13 million members undergo rigorous background checks, interviews and vetting,” the statement said. “The suspension not only slows down lines. It also increases costs and removes a layer of security infrastructure that took years to build.”
Airlines for America, a trade group representing the nation’s largest airlines, said in a statement that there was “no need and no data” to support the administration’s actions, which it said also jeopardized the upcoming busy spring break travel season.
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Several Democratic politicians condemned the suspension and said the administration was using the traveling public as a bargaining tool. “Instead of punishing travelers, Trump should focus on negotiating urgent ICE reforms,” Sen. Patty Murray of Washington wrote in a post on X, referring to a dispute over Immigration and Customs Enforcement that is at the heart of the partial shutdown.
DHS did not respond to questions about why a member-funded program was suspended, whether Global Entry airlines were still available at some airports or when the program might resume.
“Until funding is restored to the department, CBP officers are currently unpaid but remain focused on preventing potential security risks upon entry into the country,” an agency spokesperson said.
As the closure continues, travelers are reporting increasingly dire queues at airport immigration checkpoints and say they fear what the situation may look like in the coming days.
Ryan Nagle, 37, a frequent business traveler who has been a Global Entry member for more than a decade, was on a flight from Buenos Aires to New York early Sunday when he received a news report that the service had been suspended.
When he arrived at Kennedy Airport, he headed down the usual Global Entry lane only to find it closed. A customs officer led him and other passengers to the “All Passengers” queue.
“It was early and we were the first ones off the plane so it only took a few minutes to get through but there was a lot of confusion,” Mr Nagle said. “It was pure luck that we got through it so quickly. I doubt it will be that easy next time.”
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