By Zerline Hughes SpruillThough end-of-winter travel and spring break season is upon us, the effects of the Department of Homeland Security cutbacks have given some travels pause. While the agency announced and then rescinded its announcement about ending TSA PreCheck services which allow airport travelers to move quicker through security lines, DHS did, in fact, suspend its Global Entry program. The 8-year old, time-saving screening service that approximately 13 million U.S. travelers have paid into shut down this week across all U.S. airports. This means U.S. citizens returning to the states are no longer able to breeze though Customs & Border Patrol with a quick eye scan by a screen — or so we thought.I just so happened to travel internationally this week, entering the U.S. by way of Mexico. As one of the first travelers to experience the effects of the cutbacks, I immediately noticed upon arriving at Los Angeles International Airport the line up of monitors that usually scan our faces were out of sight. I also saw the large Global Entry sign at the entrance of Customs & Border Patrol was slightly altered, literally with words blacked out like a redacted government document. Then I saw a super crowded, zigzagging line. “Here we go,” I thought. But that wasn’t the line for U.S. citizens. Instead, I was directed to a short line where one small tablet awaited travelers, similar to that of the former Global Entry monitors, that captured our image and excused us within one second. No passport handling, no real-life person to talk to, no forms.
So as it relates to my experience arriving at LAX on a February weekday around 5p four days following the government announcement, the big difference between traveling back into the states just a month ago vs today was that the plethora of robust facial recognition devices have been disconnected, replaced by just one smaller tablet that does the same thing. The wait time was super minimal and there was no zig-zagged line full of anxious, impatient and tired travelers.
I am super curious to hear of your experiences. If you traveled this week or are scheduled to travel during this partial shutdown, let me know what your return to the States is like and if you felt inconvenienced, used the Mobile Passport Control (MPS) or if you’re not even interested in going through the motions of it all.
And as a reminder, to make your return to the U.S. easy and maintain your vacation glow, consider the following travel recommendations:
Don't bring back anything from your international destination. That way, you don't have to claim anything.
Try out the free U.S. government app that helps screen U.S. citizens which can be downloaded: Mobile Passport Control (MPC).
Pack light. If you end up having to stand in long lines or you’re trying to make a connection once arriving into the states, a heavy carry-on and any luggage waiting for you at the carousel will slow you down.
Enjoy your sojourns and don’t forget to join me on Instagram at @sojournalisms.