Twice as many people are getting kicked out of Global Entry as are joining. “revocations are on pace to increase 144% [vs. 2020], or almost double the rate of enrollment.”
- If your Global Entry gets revoked you can appeal
- You need to show why the revocation was an error
- But they don’t tell you why your Global Entry was revoked
Still, the errors are often so egregious that 39% of appeals are successful. And sometimes the reason is obvious (e.g. “a package he ordered from Shein was held by Customs for being a potential counterfeit item”).
When the government considers you for Global Entry there are really two separate things they are evaluating. The program makes you a ‘trusted traveler’ and that comes with expedited airport security (less scrutiny, you don’t take off shoes or take out liquids, and don’t have to go through body scanners) and expedited immigration and customs. They want to know that you aren’t a security risk, and also that you’re not likely to violate customs rules.
That can lead to some odd things in your history keeping you out of the program, or getting you kicked out of the program. A conviction for driving under the influence in the past decade is a conviction, and that’s a risk flag. So is violating any customs rule of any kind… like buying a Starbucks mug online where the mug turned out not to be an authentic Starbucks item.
Customs isn’t just enforcing agriculture rules to keep out dangerous diseases. They’re enforcing corporate intellectual property.
You can lose Global Entry for complaining about a customs officer. Putting an apple from your flight in your bag, and then not declaring it can cost you your Global Entry. So can attempting a coup against the United States. All, apparently, equivalent threats with the same consequence.
Homeland Security does continuous checks on Global Entry members, and may uncover a past conviction that wasn’t disclosed during the application (generally minor offenses over 10 years old, such as a DUI, are fine if you disclose them) or a new conviction. Breaking program rules or rules in the immigration hall such as failing to declare items or bringing ineligible family members with you into the Global Entry queues can get you kicked out if the customs officer decides to make an issue of it.
If your appeal fails, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that DHS decisions on Global Entry are subject to judicial review. So maybe lawyer up if you’re willing to pay for the right.
“So can attempting a coup against the United States.”
Hmm… so, you can get a pardon for (basically, treason), but, no more PreCheck. Bah!
I’m a little worried. I was at the USPC in Dublin a few months back and had some takeaway from the airport. The officer said “anything to declare” and I said no. She points at the takeaway and says “yes you do”. I had intended to eat it on the plane, not realizing that the customs check was in DUB. I apologized, but she proceeded to go on a rant about how I was “conspiring” to take food into the US illegally and how “this could cost me my global entry”. That said, I apologized and nodded politely, and never heard again.
Am I done for? Renewal this year.
Me and my wife global Entry renewal happen so quickly. Maybe a day or two. As you article mention they do continuous monitoring and i guess nothing showed in our travels.
@John — Oh, that’s dirty; yeah, once in preclearance, you are technically entering the ‘USA,’ even though, obviously, but for our human-constructs, you are still very much on the island of Ireland. Hope it does not affect you at all. Other countries, like Australia, would have fined you $1,000 AUD on the spot. Zero tolerance, mate.
@John. Analogy: If a cop is yelling at you for a minor traffic violation, they are jawboning you instead of writing a ticket.
Most likely, the fact the customs officer was yelling at you means she will not report you.
Good luck man.
There is a very real chance for some Global Entry members to lose the status for failure to declare food at the CBP Preclearance airports outside of the US even if the plan is to eat the restricted food before even boarding the flight.
Maybe some at the FT Moderator Do today will mention their Global Entry status being pulled? Probably won’t be mentioned on the live stream that is upcoming.
@ John (and others) – I don’t get this. If you’ve already gone through security and are in the ‘sterile’ part of the terminal, I thought you were at liberty to purchase items for onward travel. Wouldn’t this include a bottled water, the ever-present Toblerone, or a cup of Starbucks?
Ids there any notification of this at the USPC in Dublin airport? It should be posted in letters 2 feet high, with flashing neon lights.
Live stream archive.
@GUWonder — Hope all goes well today! Full-report afterwards! *wink*
My renewal was approved in less than 24 hours I was shocked it happened that fast even though I had a year left on mine.
@ kimmiea – my thoughts exactly! And the interesting this was, even after you clear USPC, you can still buy things in the area directly after USPC (which you can only access after clearing USPC). All very unclear. I am certain that some of those people will take granola bars/apples etc home.
@Gary – is there an email of some kind to the DHS I can send to see if this episode is on my record?
Wonder if your white do you get a higher approval. I would love to see the metrics.
@BA — No.
@John: I would not be worried about it. If it was an issue you would have noticed on your next international trip (or domestic, if you got Pre check through GE).
If it was issue, I would feel condition appealing it.
I once had an issue with a customs official yelling at me when I didn’t see what he was pointing at. He was really losing it. Thankfully, at least he didn’t make up some story to try and get me banned from GE.
Do immigration departments hire the most short fused people possible?
US DHS is sort of special in having a lot of short-fused employees — and it’s not just a function of its size as it’s also out of proportion. It doesn’t help that the ones at airports are provided firearms for use at the airport as that too goes to the head of US CBP employees.
I consider myself fortunate not to have ever been yelled at by US CBP, but I’ve seen a lot incidents at US ports of entry that speak to there being a bunch of things seriously wrong with US law enforcement culture.
Hasn’t there been a spike in GE membership applications for minors in the last year or so? That should tend to increase the rate of acceptance of new members.
I don’t fly enough to consider Global Entry to have enough return on investment. The fact that it can be stripped reinforces that analysis.
@jns — Cost alone should not be the issue here, for you, or most, because you likely have at least one credit card that includes the fee reimbursements for either TSA or Global, c’mon.
Wait a second! Global Entry is for ARRIVALS through CBP, not departures, UNLESS you are at an “outstation” CBP…Canada, Mexico, Ireland and others. What does taking off shoes, belts and the like have to do with this article unless one is at an outstation? The outstation will have usually have both PreCheck and Global Entry. Global Entry is also valid for driving across the Mexican or Canadian borders. If the traveler is in a country with PreCheck and Global Entry the traveler must realize that technically, one arrives into the United States while still in that country. So, if you bring food, fruit, bugs whatever is outlawed, you ARE breaking the law. IF you get caught bringing contraband items, you will lose Global Entry and PreCheck and you might go to jail! By the way, leave it to some toadstool to bring race into the equation. Stupid jerk.
@Win Whitmire — Hey, leave those poor mushrooms (toadstool) alone!
So… you care about ‘law and order’ doncha… And, since you’re so concerned about people who ‘break the law,’ why not start with the top, an example for us all, the Dear Leader… 34 felony convictions; attempting to overturn the 2020 election; mishandling of national security documents; sexual abuse and defamation; fraud; emoluments; rampant self-dealing; that’s just to name a few, far worse than a silly piece of food accidentally brought into preclearance before departure.
But, I bet, since I’ve called out the hypocrisy, you’ll ignore or just DARVO… (Hoax! Witch hunt! Clinton! Autopen! Mamdani!) Good one.
@GUWonder I’ll echo 1990’s sentiments. Any details on the meeting this Saturday?
@Alpha Floor — Maybe someday @GUWonder will revert back and enlighten us peons… hehe.
Even with Global Entry, I have less contact with immigration/customs entering the UK than the US. I enter the UK by going through the automated gate and never talk to a soul. Entering the US with Global Entry there is usually a question or two, sometimes more.
Most EU countries allow EU citizens to use the automatic gates. So Americans have to go through a vetting procedure and jump through application hoops to get more difficult access to their own country than EU citizens get automatically.
I never found GE or PreCheck to be worthwhile, regardless of the cost. Lines for “General” are often much shorter than PreCheck when departing, ever since DHS hyped the “benefit” of PreCheck years ago.
As for GE, you still have to process through a kiosk (sometime they’re not working) and then go through a CBP official.
I have used Mobile Passport Control when re-entering the US for years! It’s virtually free, normally has a separate queue, and no kiosks! I’m through in minutes! Highly recommended and I don’t have to worry about being ‘kicked’ out!