The Department of Homeland Security restarted the Global Entry program on Wednesday, after the agency halted the expedited traveler service during a partial government shutdown that began Feb. 14. The restart arrived a little over two weeks after Homeland Security suspended Global Entry for travelers.
Global Entry is designed for pre-approved, low-risk travelers who pay a fee to use expedited kiosks when entering the United States from abroad, a process intended to reduce wait times at airports and other ports of entry. Homeland Security initially said on Feb. 22 that it would suspend the program as long as the partial shutdown remained in effect.
During the suspension, Homeland Security reassigned U.S. Customs and Border Protection workers who had been staffing the Global Entry operation to handle other arriving travelers. The change was intended to keep border processing moving during a period when staffing and operating conditions were constrained by the government shutdown.
The reopening of the Global Entry program comes amid fresh public attention to how political impasses can affect travel. The agency restart followed weekend reports from travelers at a handful of U.S. airports who faced long security lines, raising concern that the shutdown’s operational effects could persist into a busy spring travel season.
The partial shutdown began Feb. 14 after Democrats and the White House were unable to reach a deal on legislation to fund Homeland Security. Democrats sought changes to immigration operations that are central to President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign, according to the Associated Press report that detailed the Global Entry restart.
The shutdown’s impact on Global Entry also renewed discussion about ways to prevent airport security operations from being slowed during political standoffs. One approach mentioned in the coverage was allowing more airports to outsource security screening while keeping TSA oversight, a framework intended to reduce the risk that federal shutdown disruptions spill over into traveler processing.
As Global Entry resumes, travelers who are already enrolled may once again use the expedited kiosks intended for pre-approved participants, while Homeland Security continues to manage staffing between specialized programs and general processing needs at ports of entry.