Millions of US travelers have enrolled in trusted traveler programs including Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Global Entry, which allows pre-approved low-risk travelers to be quickly processed at airports or other ports of entry.
There are clear processes for enrolling in these programs and for reconsideration if membership is denied or revoked. But a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that if CBP denies or revokes membership, it doesn’t tell travelers how to seek more information about the specific reasons why. Before 2018, CBP included instructions for this in a notification letter, but GAO’s review found that these had been inadvertently removed when the letter was updated.
GAO found that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) – which operates the TSA PreCheck trusted traveler program – informs travelers of its decision in a letter that includes steps for pursuing reconsideration (known as a ‘correction of record’) if travelers believe TSA based its decision on incorrect or incomplete information.
Following GAO’s findings, the Department of Homeland Security said CBP will update denial and revocation decision notification letters to include instructions on how travelers can seek additional information regarding the specific reason(s) for the decision. Within these letters, CBP will also include a website address with a list of enrollment center locations and contact information. CBP expects to complete these actions by June 2024.
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