By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. travel industry group and lawmakers on Tuesday called on Donald Trump's administration to reinstate the Global Entry program, which expedites U.S. customs and immigration clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers entering the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security on Sunday suspended the program but reversed course on its initial plan to also suspend the Transportation Security Administration's PreCheck program. The DHS said the move was necessary to "preserve limited funds and personnel" during a partial shutdown.
"Suspending this critical security program does the opposite of what the Department of Homeland Security intends, adding volume to standard lines, stretching the very personnel the department is trying to protect and increasing security risks," the U.S. Travel Association said. "The program is primarily funded by the $120 fee that members pay. There is no fiscal—or logical—rationale for this decision."
A social media post showed long lines on Monday to enter the United States at Washington Dulles, the major international airport near Washington in suburban Virginia.
The Homeland Security Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, noted that in 2025 over 18 million travelers used Global Entry, saving over 300,000 officer hours at 79 ports of entry. He noted that both Global Entry and TSA PreCheck were operational during the 43-day-government shutdown last fall. "The administration’s claims don’t pass the smell test," Warner said. "The administration should be focused on working with us on real solutions, not on inflicting pain for American travelers as a political stunt.”
The announcement that the PreCheck program would be halted on Sunday had raised alarm among travel groups and airlines as a busy travel season involving students on spring break starts in the United States.
More than 20 million people are enrolled in PreCheck, which allows approved passengers to go through a dedicated, faster security lane at U.S. airports and is designed to reduce wait times and streamline screening.
The DHS is in the midst of a partial shutdown due to a lapse in funding by Congress as Republicans and Democrats differ on immigration enforcement policies.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
