DHS suspends New Yorkers from Trusted Travelers Programs in wake of illegal alien ID law

By Jason Hopkins

The Department of Homeland Security is suspending New Yorkers from enrolling in Global Entry and other Trusted Traveler Programs in response to a new state law that bans information sharing with the federal government.

Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli went into detail in a conference call Thursday with reporters on the department’s decision to no longer allow New York residents to enroll in Trusted Travel Programs, which allow expedited entry of pre-approved individuals, because of a new law that allows illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses and bans information sharing between DMVs and DHS agencies.

New York DMV

New York’s new “Green Light Law” makes it possible to apply for a driver’s license without a Social Security number and makes foreign documentation valid for the purpose of obtaining a license. It also bars Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protections (CBP) from obtaining information from DMVs across the state.

“After a close initial analysis, the Department of Homeland Security has decided that New York residents will no longer be allowed to participate on a forward-looking basis in any of our Trusted Traveler Programs, like Global Entry, FAST, SENTRI and NEXUS, which all rely on access to DMV data to determine whether the person is a) who they say they are and b) is qualified to be a trusted traveler, as opposed to any other traveler,” Cuccinelli said Thursday.

New Yorkers already enrolled in various Trusted Traveler Programs, or TTP, will not be affected, but moving forward they can no longer obtain renewals, and other residents in the state will no longer be able to apply at all. DHS acting Secretary Chad Wolf first announced the decision Wednesday night during an appearance with Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Known as the “Green Light” law, signed by Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in June 2019, the directive makes it possible to apply for a driver’s license without a Social Security number and makes foreign documentation valid for the purpose of obtaining a license. It also bars Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protections (CBP) from obtaining information from DMVs across the state.

“It’s only reasonable from a public safety standpoint to not qualify new applicants or renewals for any of these programs as Trusted Travelers,” Cuccinelli said. “These are all unfortunate consequences of New York’s Green Light law.”

“Obviously, we would urge New York to undo that law and restore some sanity to its own attempts to help preserve public safety,” he added.

DHS expects 150,000 to 200,000 New Yorkers to be affected by the new ban.

During the call with reporters, Cuccinelli warned other states from following the same path as New York and chided the state for making implementing measures that make its citizens less safe after the country’s worst terrorist attack in history.

“Here we have one of the other targets of 9/11, New York, walking backwards quite intentionally in the other direction to bar the sharing of law enforcement information like vehicle registration, matching driver’s licenses to identifications, and critically, criminal records, which are kept up-to-date in DMV databases,” Cuccinelli said.

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Image courtesy of New York DMV

6 thoughts on “DHS suspends New Yorkers from Trusted Travelers Programs in wake of illegal alien ID law

  1. Ha! I thought Cuomo would sue the Fed. “Oh, it’s a conspiracy to take away the rights of immigrants who are undocumented (in country other than legally).” Even the ACLU claims it will also sue the Fed. If they’re successful, which I doubt will happen, then there won’t be any need for security measures at NY airports. Think of the tax payers monies that’ll be saved. And, no more waiting in long lines. Because, anyone will be able to board an aircraft with no one knowing who they are, if they’re hardened criminals, registered pedophiles (need to know so they won’t be seated next to a child), criminals eluding the law (like bail or parole jumpers), or criminal’s with a past high crimes history, like bombs manufactured and used in a crime, or just an everyday mentally disturbed person with a history of knife attacks. It’s irrelevant that the percentages are low for such issues but once it has occurred, there are no do overs. Politicians can be so petty, even to the point of endangering the lives of air travelers.

  2. Nothing wrong with pure logic. Will the state appeal? I wouldn’t be surprised if the state of New York will try to bully the Fed into retracting this regulation.

  3. One of Newton’s laws states that for every action there is a reaction. Guess New Yorkers have “just gotten a taste of physics 101.

  4. It’s about time that the federal government cracks down on these sanctuary States. Pay attention Vermont. Remember in November. Start voting these liberals out..

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