Chad Wolf, the Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), sent a letter to New York’s motor vehicle commissioners on Wednesday informing them that New York citizens would no longer be allowed to sign up for the “Trusted Traveler” programs administered by Customs and Border Protection.
The programs are a means of vetting frequent international travelers, who receive easier or expedited customs screening once enrolled. The decision to bar citizens of New York from signing up follows a new state law there that seeks to protect undocumented immigrants from unwarranted surveillance by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
