The Trump administration has reacted to driver’s licenses being issued to undocumented immigrants, by denying New Yorkers the ability to qualify for the Global Entry program, which allows citizens and permanent residents to expedite their border crossing into the country.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is not letting New York state residents enroll in its Global Entry program, which allows certain low risk travellers to be fast-tracked through the border and for clearance to be expedited. The decision was taken after New York´s Green Light Law was passed, which allows undocumented aliens to obtain a driver´s license in the state.

New York state has expanded the type of identification that can be used to apply for a driver’s license, to now include: a valid foreign driver’s license; a passport or identification document issued in the applicant’s home country together with a foreign birth certificate. The problem is that an alien who does not have legal immigration status can still obtain a driver´s license and use it as identification for other purposes, such as travel.

New York is one of 15 states in the US with a Green Light Law, which allows undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. Other states with similar laws are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington. The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico also have a Green Light Law.

The Trump administration specifically criticized New York’s law, as it includes a provision that bars officials at the NY Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing data with immigration authorities, without an order from a judge.

However, the Green Light Law is not relevant to the Global Entry program, as people who obtain a license under the Green Light Law are eligible to receive a Trusted Traveler document, and the document is only provided to someone who is a US citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident of the USA.

To apply for participation in the Global Entry program, a traveler must schedule an interview at an enrollment center and provide a valid passport plus either a driver’s license or ID card. Lawful permanent residents must present a Green Card.