US: New Yorkers, travel industry slam Trump’s global-entry halt

The Trump administration’s blocking of time-saving international travel programs for New Yorkers has the governor seething and the travel industry warning of slowdowns, looser security and other airport troubles. “This is unbounded arrogance, disrespect of the rule of law, hyper-political government -- and this is another form of extortion,” said NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat. State residents were barred from enrolling or renewing credentials for the federal government’s Trusted Traveller system, including Global Entry and other programs for entering from Canada and Mexico. The TSA’s PreCheck program, which speeds domestic travellers, isn’t affected. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, in a Feb. 5 letter to New York officials, said the ban was the result of a state law that allows driver’s licenses to be issued to residents who lack immigration documents. Information about those licensees isn’t shared with federal authorities, leading to security risks, Wolf wrote. “New York’s ‘Green Light Law’ is ill-conceived and the department is forced to take this action to ensure the integrity of our Trusted Traveler programs,” Wolf said. Laws similar to New York’s exist in at least a dozen states, including Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Hawaii and New Jersey. New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement that the driver’s license law has weathered court challenges, and her office is reviewing the Homeland Security decision.<br/>