Seventeen days after the Trump administration suspended Global Entry amid a partial government shutdown, the expedited travel program is back up and running.
The fast-tracked service that helps paying members speed through passport control after an international flight back to the U.S. was set to resume at 5 a.m. EDT Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed overnight.
Global Entry had been shuttered since Feb. 22 as part of the partial federal shutdown that continues to affect the DHS.
In a statement late Tuesday, a spokesperson said the move came as it “continually evaluates” measures it could take while it awaits a Congressional spending bill.
Reversing course
The unusual decision to suspend Global Entry had been strongly criticized across the travel sector and by some lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
The program is largely funded by the $120 application fee members pay every five years and generally continues to operate, even during a federal shutdown.
In a statement Wednesday morning, the nonpartisan U.S. Travel Association applauded the about-face on Global Entry.
“We welcome today’s decision,” president and CEO Geoff Freeman said. “Over the last two weeks, the travel industry has been clear about the role programs like Global Entry and TSA PreCheck play in both security and efficiency.”
This pivot by the DHS will certainly be welcome news to travelers, who will no longer have to stand in the standard lines at passport control as the spring break travel rush gets underway. Sunday was the busiest day at U.S. airports since early January, the tail end of the holiday season.
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All eyes on TSA checkpoints
Resuming Global Entry services, though, won’t be of any help at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, which have seen mounting lines in recent days.
TSA officers — along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers who staff airport customs facilities — are currently working without pay.
Global Entry allows vetted members approved via an interview process to bypass the normal passport control lanes and instead use fast biometric kiosks after returning to the U.S. from abroad. Global Entry members also get access to the TSA PreCheck lanes at airport security.
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