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Friday 7 February 2020
Continued from front commercial truck drivers
The decision to freeze New enrolled in a program that
Yorkers' access to Global eases their crossing at four
Entry and three other pro- U.S.-Canada ports of entry
grams, which the New York in upstate New York.
governor dismissed as "ex- Cuccinelli told reporters
tortion," reflects an escala- on a conference call that
tion of the conflict between the New York law endan-
President Donald Trump gers the public and federal
and states and cities that agents, who can't quickly
have declared themselves confirm someone's identi-
sanctuaries for immigrants fication, check for fugitive
in the country without legal warrants or see if a person
authorization. has a criminal record.
New York's "Green Light" "Obviously, we would urge
law, which went into effect New York to undo that law
in December, allows peo- and restore some sanity to
ple to get a driver's license its own attempts to help
even if they don't have le- preserve public safety," he
gal residency in the United said.
States. It includes a provi- New York state officials and
sion prohibiting the Depart- other administration critics
ment of Motor Vehicles dismissed the DHS action as
from providing any data to a political stunt, noting the
entities that enforce immi- trusted traveler programs Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, center, and director of the National Institute of
gration law unless a judge don't require a driver's li- Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health Dr. Anthony Fauci, right, listen
as acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli speaks during a press briefing
orders it to do so. cense. Participants must on the coronavirus, in the briefing room of the White House, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington.
That makes it a target for submit a passport, finger- Associated Press
Trump, who has made im- prints and undergo back-
migration enforcement a ground checks, allowing records to prevent the gov- newed every five years. zation to obtain a driver's
cornerstone of his presiden- them streamlined return to ernment from using DMV Cuccinelli said about license, but New York is the
cy and knows it's a subject the U.S. records to deport people 175,000 New York residents only state that has banned
that motivates his base. The New York Gov. Andrew in the country without legal in trusted traveler programs the Department of Motor
sweeping move came a Cuomo defended the residency. will be kicked out over the Vehicles from sharing re-
day after Trump slammed Green Light law, saying The governor said Home- course of 2020 as their per- cords with DHS, Heather
New York in his State of the it improved public safety land Security made no ef- mits expire. Swift, a spokeswoman for
Union address. by ensuring drivers have li- fort to work with state offi- At the U.S. Customs House the agency, said on Twitter.
The DHS action on trusted censes regardless of their cials to work out an alterna- in lower Manhattan, where Immigration and Customs
travelers could have eco- immigration status. The tive way to access criminal there is an office in which Enforcement recently sent
nomic consequences. It state barred immigration records before deciding Global Entry interviews are subpoenas to law enforce-
applies to nearly 30,000 agents from accessing the to suspend New Yorkers held, a federal employee ment in Denver and New
from the trusted traveler was turning away people York seeking information
programs. "They didn't do Thursday if they were New on immigrants they hope to
that," he said, "They just is- York residents. deport, and federal pros-
sued a letter press release DHS will also immediately ecutors in New York say
immediately because it's remove about 50,000 peo- they're prepared to take
all politics." ple who were given condi- the subpoena to court to
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, tional approval and were enforce contempt charges
a New York Democrat, awaiting completion of if law enforcement doesn't
called the action "political an interview for full mem- comply.
retribution" by the federal bership along with 30,000 DHS officials have said ef-
government. "There is no who have submitted an forts to interfere with immi-
factual basis for this poli- application and hadn't yet gration enforcement keep
cy," she said. "Its true de- been approved. them from upholding U.S.
sign is to punish New York The agency said the ex- laws and endanger public
for embracing diversity port of vehicles from New safety by thwarting the de-
and inclusion." Rep. Ben- York will also be "signifi- portation of criminals.q
nie Thompson, a Mississippi cantly" delayed because
Democrat who chairs the the Green Light law hinders
House Homeland Security its ability to validate docu-
Committee, said suspend- ments used to establish
ing access to Global Entry ownership.
and the other programs Cuccinelli said DHS is con-
will undermine border se- sidering additional penal-
curity and make travel less ties against New York and
efficient. "Congress needs evaluating the progress of
to respond to this abuse of a similar proposal in Wash-
power," he said. ington state. "They should
Global Entry and the three know that their citizens are
other traveler programs going to lose the conve-
enable people to enter nience of entering these
the U.S. without having to trusted traveler programs
pass through the standard just as New York's did," he
immigration and customs said. Other states have al-
checkpoints. lowed people in the coun-
The permits must be re- try without legal authori-