The Department of Homeland Security announced the suspension of renewals and enrollments for Global Entry and other Trusted Travel Programs for New York residents.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Wednesday that the move was a response to the state’s “Green Light Law” supporting undocumented immigrants.
“Today, we sent a letter to New York indicating, because they took these measures, that New York residents are no longer eligible to enroll in these Trusted Traveler Programs,” Wolf said.
Other programs suspended by DHS include NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST. They have millions of members and allow them to bypass long Customs and Border Protection lines.
The change will also prohibit vehicle exports. The letter does not refer to TSA’s PreCheck program.
“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,” Wolf wrote in a letter sent to New York state officials.
The Green Light Law, enacted in December 2019, allows undocumented individuals to apply for New York driver licenses while protecting their information.
According to Wolf, the Green Light Law prohibits the state DMV from sharing criminal records with Customs and Border Protection and with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Wolf said the change would go into immediate effect.
The change comes a day after President Trump’s State of the Union address, in which he attacked “sanctuary cities,” including New York City, for protecting undocumented individuals.