Global Entry Passengers Swept Up In Trumps Travel Ban

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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-21/trump-s-travel-ban-is-frozen-but-the-fallout-isn-t


Global Entry Passengers Swept Up In Trump’s Travel Ban
U.S. citizen “Trusted Traveler” members had their privileges revoked.
by Justin Bachman
April 21, 2017, 3:00 AM EDT April 21, 2017, 2:34 PM EDT


U.S. Customs and Border Protection revoked the enrollment of people in the Global Entry program and other U.S. “trusted traveler” categories as part of the Trump administration’s travel ban on seven predominantly Muslim nations.

The ban triggered raucous protests across the country and was quickly enjoined by the courts. But some industry groups contend the damage to the U.S. travel industry continues.

American citizens certified for Global Entry often learned of the issue only when they sought to travel, according to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, which says it received “dozens” of complaints and is seeking agency records about the revocations through the Freedom of Information Act.

A CBP spokeswoman, Jennifer Gabris, said the agency restored some enrollees by early February after the administration clarified that lawful permanent residents weren’t included in the ban. Last month, federal judges also blocked a revised ban. The CBP did not respond to questions about how many people had been purged and restored to the “trusted traveler” programs.

Several of the people who complained about being removed from the programs were U.S. citizens originally from countries not included in the bans: India, Lebanon, and Pakistan, said Abed Ayoub, legal and policy director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, which is based in Washington. And some had their Global Entry status revoked before the bans were announced, he said.

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The administration’s rhetoric and policies have created anxiety abroad and are likely to make some travelers reconsider plans to visit the U.S., said Jeff Senior, vice president of marketing at California-based reports operator KSL Resorts and global chair of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association Intl., a hotel marketing group.

“The very first thing out of anybody’s mouth is sort of a combination of angst and curiosity about how the U.S. is behaving right now,” Senior said. “Nobody wants to travel to a place they don’t feel welcome. There’s some soul-searching taking place. There’s some wonderful destinations around the world—the U.S. isn’t the only place you can visit.”