Travelers who use Global Entry You could face unwanted delays after your next flight back to the US.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Sunday that the expedited passport control program had been suspended, a week after the partial federal government shutdown.
That means travelers passing through passport control facilities at the country’s major airports likely won’t be able to use the blue biometric kiosks, which typically help travelers save a lot of time after arriving home in the U.S. from an international flight.
Official news of the suspension came early Sunday after the Trump administration reportedly considered shutting down both Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, the expedited airport security program.
But DHS ultimately opted to keep the Transportation Security Administration’s expedited lanes operating “without changes for the traveling public.” Aviation industry leaders had criticized the idea of stopping PreCheck after The Washington Post first reported the plans Saturday night.
So if you’re heading to the airport on Monday, expect PreCheck to be open and operating as usual.
About 95% of TSA workers are considered essential federal employees and are expected to continue working, albeit without pay, despite the shutdown currently affecting DHS.
TSA PreCheck lanes normally operate on Sundays at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
What about global entry?
However, Global Entry members may experience much longer delays at passport control and may have to wait in the standard processing queue like other travelers.
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The suspension of that service went into effect at 6 a.m. EST on Sunday and it is unclear when it might end.
In a statement, the department said the move was designed “to preserve limited funding and staff” amid the shutdown.
Travel industry questions DHS decision
The closure of Global Entry is a baffling decision, to be sure.
The Trump administration on Sunday argument The move was intended to “preserve limited funds and staff” during the ongoing shutdown.
But Global Entry is largely funded by the $120 application fee that members pay every five years.
And U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which operates the program and passport control at airports, has long told me that Global Entry actually reduces demand on the officers it has on duty, by redirecting previously vetted travelers to faster, more fluid lanes, and by allowing most officers to focus on the rest of the traveling public.
The nonprofit U.S. Travel Association urged DHS to reconsider its decision to suspend the program.
“These trusted traveler programs strengthen aviation security and improve screening efficiency,” the organization’s executive director, Geoff Freeman, said in a statement. “They are funded by user fees and there is no reason at this time to suspend them.”
Global Entry is operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The program allows paid, pre-screened travelers to quickly pass through airport passport control facilities through biometric kiosks.
A possible alternative
Travelers affected by the Global Entry suspension can still save some time by using the free DHS program. Mobile passport control program, typically a “next best option” for non-Global Entry members.
DHS did not comment on Sunday whether it planned to close MPC amid the shutdown, so if you return to the US in the coming days, it’s certainly worth a try rather than simply braving the standard passport control lanes.
general overview
Both TSA PreCheck and Global Entry have generally continued to operate during almost all previous government shutdowns, including last fall during the longest gridlock in history.
And there have been few reports of major security backups or staffing shortages during either of the two most recent shutdowns. except for a series of delays at one point last fall in Houston.
About 20 million Americans were TSA PreCheck members as of 2024and many more access the accelerated security lanes through a Global Entry Membership – the latter of which also allows vetted members to quickly pass passport control after an international flight back to the US.
Could TSA PreCheck eventually close if the partial federal shutdown continues?
A TSA spokesperson told TPG on Sunday that the agency would “evaluate on a case-by-case basis and adjust operations accordingly.”
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