Last month, U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Policy Tori Barnes warned that staffing shortages at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are disrupting the Global Entry program, which provides expedited clearance for pre-approved travelers at U.S. airports and international ports of entry.
“The American travel community is deeply concerned that Customs and Border Protection staffing shortages will disrupt the Global Entry program, a critical tool for both travel facilitation and travel security,” Barnes said.
The Trusted Traveler Program website notes that “the extended partial government shutdown has resulted in a backlog … of applications and renewals,” signaling delays for applicants and members seeking renewals or interviews.
CBP confirmed the issue in a statement explaining that the agency is temporarily reducing staff at Global Entry Enrollment Centers nationwide and reassigning personnel to frontline traveler processing to manage high seasonal demand. “Regrettably, this situation has forced the cancellation of some scheduled appointments and may make it difficult to schedule an immediate interview,” the agency said.
The staffing shortfall is tied to a broader funding gap: the Department of Homeland Security faces a $4.5 billion shortage in supplemental funding, prompting cuts that affect various agencies and operations, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
In May, DHS reassigned hundreds of TSA officers to assist CBP at the Mexican border as part of efforts to address an escalating immigration situation. At the same time, officials considered using nearly $1 million in unclaimed loose change collected at U.S. airports in 2018—funds typically used by the TSA for aviation security enhancements—to support increased border operations.
Barnes emphasized Global Entry’s dual benefits for security and the economy. “Global Entry has been a shining example of effective and innovative post-9/11 policymaking: a program that bolsters security by thoroughly pre-vetting entrants into the U.S. and simultaneously boosts economic activity by streamlining the entry process,” she said. “Interruption of Global Entry interviews is an unsettling sign that resources for Homeland Security functions are not keeping pace with the shifting array of challenges that face the agency’s important work. We need a broad and comprehensive national conversation about the reforms and investments that are needed to properly secure our entry points and transportation systems. It’s not just security that’s at stake, but economic growth as well.”