By Nelson A. King
New York Attorney General
Letitia James has criticized the
Donald J. Trump administration’s
decision to implement a
new policy banning New York
State residents, including Caribbean
nationals, from the Global
Entry Program and other
Trusted Traveler Programs.
Late last week, the US
Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) sent a letter
to the New York State Department
of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
stating that the federal government
would no longer enroll or
re-enroll New York residents,
including Caribbean nationals,
in a number of the federal government’s
Trusted Traveler Programs,
including Global Entry,
SENTRI, NEXUS, and FAST
(Free and Secure Trade).
“Despite President Trump’s
attempt to punish New Yorkers
for passing its own laws and
standing up to his xenophobic
policies, New York will not
back down,” said James in a
statement, noting that 13 additional
states and the District
of Columbia have passed similar
laws to the one the Trump
administration cites in its letter
.“
So, we will resist efforts that
target New Yorkers and cut off
our access to Global Entry or
any other Trusted Traveler Program,”
Caribbean Life, F 6 ebruary 14-20, 2020
James added. “As the
state’s attorney and chief law
enforcement officer, I will continue
to vigorously defend New
York laws and our state’s residents
against the president’s
vindictive actions. New Yorkers
will not be targeted or bullied
by an authoritarian thug.”
The US Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) agency also
said that, effective immediately,
residents of the State of New
York will no longer be eligible
to apply for or renew membership
in its Trusted Traveler Programs
“due to state legislation
that restricts CBP’s access to
certain criminal history information
maintained by the New
York Department of Motor Vehicles
(DMV).”
In addition, CBP said the
Vehicle Exports program will
be affected.
“Vehicles titled in New
York may be de-prioritized for
export, as resource limitations
require, when supporting documents
cannot be authenticated
through information sharing
with New York DMV,” CBP said
in a statement.
James noted that, last year,
New York Governor Andrew
Cuomo signed the Green Light
bill into law, which allows
undocumented Caribbean and
other immigrants to apply for
driver licenses.
“This law is legal and enforceable,
and two separate federal
courts have already dismissed
meritless lawsuits against the
law,” James said. “The Green
Light law aims to make New
York roads safer, provide a boost
to the state’s economy, and
allows immigrants to come out
of the shadows.”
Despite the fact that 13 other
states and the District of Columbia
have already passing similar
laws that allow undocumented
immigrants to obtain driver
licenses, James said the Trump
administration “singled out and
targeted New York State and
its residents by informing the
New York State DMV that New
York residents could no longer
enroll or reenroll in a number
New York State Attorney General, Letitia James.
Associated Press / Richard Drew
of Trusted Traveler Programs.”
Over the weekend, Brooklyn
Congresswoman Yvette D.
Clarke joined her New York
congressional colleague Kathleen
Rice in leading a bipartisan
letter to Acting DHS Secretary
Chad Wolf questioning
the Trump administration’s
decision to implement a new
policy banning New York State
residents, including Caribbean
nationals, from the Global
Entry Program and other
Trusted Traveler Programs.
Clarke, the daughter of
Jamaican immigrants, who
represents the 9th Congressional
District in Brooklyn,
and Rice, who represents New
York’s 4th Congressional District,
said that Wolf also made
the announcement on cable television.
James assails Trump’s ban on Caribbean
New Yorkers from Global Entry Program
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