Caribbean Life, J 6 uly 31-August 6, 2020
New York State Attorney General, Letitia James. Associated Press / Richard Drew
Trump drops battle over
Trusted Traveler Programs
By Nelson A. King
New York Attorney General, Letitia
James is claiming victory for New
Yorkers, including Caribbean immigrants,
after the Trump administration
on Thursday surprisingly reversed its
decision to prohibit New Yorkers from
enrolling or re-enrolling in the federal
government’s Trusted Travel Programs
(TTP).
These programs, including the Global
Entry program, permit travelers to
speed through international airports,
using kiosks, after enrolling in them,
providing information to authorities.
In February, James filed a lawsuit
against the US Department of Homeland
Security (DHS), US Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) and the
two agencies’ acting-leaders after the
agencies announced they would end a
number of Trusted Traveler Programs
in New York, including Global Entry,
SENTRI (Secure Electronic Network
for Travelers Rapid Inspection), NEXUS,
and FAST (Free and Secure Trade).
“The Trump administration backing
down and restoring Global Entry
and other Trusted Traveler Programs
to New Yorkers is a victory for travelers,
workers, commerce and our state’s
economy,” said James on Thursday.
“This policy was political retribution,
plain and simple, which is why we filed
our lawsuit to stop the president from
targeting and punishing New Yorkers in
the first place,” she added.
“We will continue to defend New
York’s right to pass its own laws and
will fight to protect our state’s residents
anytime they are bullied by the president
because safety and fairness are not
mutually exclusive under the law,” the
New York Attorney General continued.
In a court filing on Thursday, US federal
government lawyers admitted that
DHS officials made inaccurate statements
in their attempt to justify prohibiting
New Yorkers, including Caribbean
immigrants, from the programs.
US federal lawyers said the falsehoods
“undermine a central argument”
in the Trump administration’s case for
denying New Yorkers’ participation in
the programs after the state passed legislation
allowing undocumented Caribbean
and other immigrants to obtain
driver’s licenses.
New York authorities said that the
Trump administration had blatantly
singled out the state in its retaliatory
action.
Trump administration lawyers
admitted on Thursday that other states,
some US territories and the District of
Columbia were not denied participation
in the programs.
“The acting secretary of homeland
security has decided to restore New
York residents’ access to the Trusted
Traveler Programs, effective immediately,”
said the government lawyers in
their court filing on Thursday.
“Defendants deeply regret the foregoing
inaccurate or misleading statements,
and apologize to the court and
plaintiffs for the need to make these
corrections at this late stage in the litigation,”
said Audrey Strauss, the acting
United States attorney in Manhattan.
In April, CBP said it had temporarily
suspended operations at Trusted Traveler
Programs enrollment centers for
Caribbean and other immigrants until
at least May 1, 2020 due to the novel
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.