How Trump's New York trusted traveler ban will punish the most conservative parts of the state

President Trump's latest border crackdown will end up hurting the New Yorkers who love him best.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced Wednesday that New Yorkers would no longer be allowed to apply for or renew their trusted traveler programs in retaliation for the state's newly enacted sanctuary policies. This move will go beyond just sidelining travelers trying to get in and out of New York's airports — it'll hurt travel and daily commuting for New Yorkers who never supported those policies in the first place.

New York state recently enacted the Green Light Law, which lets undocumented people receive drivers licenses in the state. The law also blocks federal agents from accessing state Department of Motor Vehicles databases, which Wolf said Wednesday would make it impossible to properly vet New Yorkers looking to apply for NEXUS, SENTRI, Global Entry.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Global Entry is used around the world, but upstate New York has more NEXUS crossing points than any other state. The program lets approved NEXUS holders use reserved travel lanes to speed up U.S.–Canada border crossings, and even has a whole dedicated bridge in Niagara Falls, New York.

All of those crossings would become relatively useless if the renewal ban survives. And all of them largely service New York's 21st and 27th congressional districts — two areas of an increasingly liberal state are still firmly in Republican hands — as well as Erie County, whose Democratic clerk Mickey Kearns has challenged the Green Light law since it passed.