immigration

Tag Archives for immigration.

Italy May Be Off Limits For Travel Until April 2021

by Gary Leff on April 19, 2020

Apr 19 2020

Plans to re-open the economy in phases are still speculative, and still just plans. They haven’t yet hit the reality of local politics (sustaining closures in the face of a struggling economy) or European politics (and pressure, perhaps coming from Germany and in exchange for economic aid, to follow a more unified approach). Thus pronouncements about re-opening Spain ‘at the end of the year’ and Italy ‘after March 2021’ are at this point merely suggestive of the challenges that international travel will face, rather than something to be taken at face value.

U.S. Immigration N95 Mask Stockpile Won’t Go To Hospitals, Goes To TSA Instead

by Gary Leff on March 27, 2020

Mar 27 2020

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has 1.5 million N95 masks sitting in an Indiana warehouse.

And after discussions about what to do with the masks on Wednesday, it was concluded that “CBP has no plans to offer the masks to hard-hit hospitals, or hand them over to the Federal Emergency Management Agency…” Instead those will be given to the TSA. And CBP will acquire 1.5 million masks to replace those, competing with orders placed by hosptials.

Airport Immigration Insanity: We’re Cramming Everyone Together Body-To-Body

by Gary Leff on March 15, 2020

Mar 15 2020

The U.S. is limiting international travel and funneling it through a limited set of airports. That’s supposed to allow them to screen passengers better entering the country. Here the government is failing and making things worse.

The virus is already here and spreading. We don’t know how badly because we are keeping out foreign tests. Our solution to that appears to be keeping out foreigners and forcing everyone in close proximity to each other to encourage spread.

Federal Government Flushed Pending Global Entry Applications Submitted By New Yorkers

by Gary Leff on February 8, 2020

Feb 08 2020

Wednesday night the Trump administration announced a new policy that New York residents are no longer eligible to apply for (or renew) Global Entry, SENTRI, or Nexus. That means no more expedited immigration, and it means New Yorkers getting their TSA PreCheck through these programs wouldn’t have that benefit renewed either.

It was unclear what would happen to New Yorkers who already had submitted applications (and renewals). That’s now clear. Those applications have reportedly been flushed.

5 Reasons The Trump Administration’s Ban On Global Entry For New Yorkers Is Bad Policy

by Gary Leff on February 6, 2020

Feb 06 2020

In December New York State law began allowing undocumented immigrants to get drivers licenses and stopped sharing applicant information with immigration enforcement agencies.

Wednesday evening the Trump administration announced that because New York passed this law, “New York residents are no longer eligible to enroll in these Trusted Traveler Programs” including Global Entry.

Asian Women Required To Take Pregnancy Tests Before Traveling To The United States

by Gary Leff on January 13, 2020

Jan 13 2020

Cathay Pacific-owned HK Express is apologizing for requiring passengers to take pregnancy tests at the airport as a condition of flying to a U.S. territory in the Pacific, as a strategy of complying with U.S. immigration demands.

Government To Start Collecting DNA Samples On Travelers Detained Entering The U.S.

by Gary Leff on January 8, 2020

Jan 08 2020

Your DNA will become a precondition for international travel, at the discretion of Customs and Border Protection. That’s because the U.S. government has started a pilot program to collect DNA from people taken into CBP custody – including citizens – with plans to roll the program out nationwide. Once collected, DNA samples “will “go into a massive criminal database run by the FBI, where it would be held indefinitely.”

US Government Plans to Require All Citizens Leaving the Country to Get Mug Shots

by Gary Leff on December 3, 2019

Dec 03 2019

The Department of Homeland Security, along with several airlines, have been testing ‘biometric boarding’ at airports around the country. Error rates are significant as are system outages.

A year ago we learned DHS planned to require all citizens to have their photos taken in order to leave the country. Now it’s become officially part of the agency’s regulatory agenda.