New Yorkers Still Waiting For Federal Government To Refund $100 Global Entry Fees

After the federal government rejected New Yorkers who were applying for Global Entry and other trusted traveler programs last month, applicants are still awaiting refunds of their $100 application fees.

"I knew it was going to be something shady like that," said Radames Mateo, a social worker from the Bronx, who had been waiting for his Global Entry interview since August and said he's given up hope of ever getting his money back.

In February, the federal Department of Homeland Security announced that New Yorkers would no longer be able to apply or re-enroll in trusted traveler programs (TTP) such as Global Entry that allow pre-screened participants faster security clearance at airports and borders. Critics called the shift a move to punish New York for allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for drivers' licenses.

The DHS said its Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency needs the state DMV records for immigration investigations, while Governor Andrew Cuomo has said the records would only be used so that "ICE can have a feeding frenzy assaulting undocumented people."

The February 6th DHS announcement of the new policy said "refunds will be processed automatically."

After hearing about the decision, Mateo called the federal Customs and Border Patrol agency every day for a week to learn the fate of his application but said he was never able to get a hold of a live person. Mateo eventually took his case to his credit card company American Express who told him the charge was too old for him to receive a full refund.

"If you say you're going to do something then do it," he said. "They charged me in seconds when I submitted the application. It's kind of frustrating."

For Jocelyn Giannini, her family is out $300 in fees for her husband, herself and her stepson.

"It's significant and I'd really like to have that back," she said of the fees.

She tried to email the CBP and never received a response. She then tweeted at the TSA, who told her to check with the CBP.

The situation has caused "immense frustration," said Giannini, who lives in Queens and works in media.

Email and phone calls to the DHS and CBP were not immediately returned Tuesday.

Since the DHS policy was announced, Cuomo has met with President Donald Trump and DHS officials. Last month, Cuomo seemed to acquiesce to providing more of the DMV database to the federal government except for Social Security numbers.

"To pressure us, to extort us to get us to allow them to use the DMV database for ICE and Customs and Border Patrol, they are deliberately holding hostage New Yorkers who have nothing to do with anything," Cuomo said at a February 24th press conference. "This is just hostage taking, pressure extortion to get us to turn over the DMV database, which I never will."

Cuomo added, "we're exploring having DMV just delete social security numbers from the database in the cases that they don't need them. The social security number is a proxy for whether or not you're a citizen, right? If you're not a citizen, you don't have a social security number, and that's why the social security numbers are important."

Meanwhile, state Attorney General Letitia James has sued the Trump Administration, accusing the federal government of violating New Yorkers' right to equal protection and equal state sovereignty under the U.S. Constitution.