Global Entry Is Designed to Assess Travel Risk

Global Entry and TSA PreCheck are federal trusted traveler programs intended to streamline travel for individuals deemed low risk for customs, immigration, and security violations. In theory, eligibility decisions are meant to focus on factors directly related to border compliance, identity integrity, and travel-related conduct.

In recent months, however, some travelers have raised questions about whether non-travel-related activity, including lawful political expression, may be playing a role in how “risk” is assessed.

What Recent Reporting Has Highlighted

Recent news reports have described situations in which individuals lost Global Entry or TSA PreCheck privileges following encounters with federal authorities that were not tied to travel violations, but instead occurred in the context of political or advocacy activity.

In one reported instance, a traveler’s Global Entry and PreCheck benefits were revoked shortly after she was involved in observing and documenting activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to reporting, the individual was not convicted of a crime, and there was no allegation of customs or immigration misconduct. The timing nevertheless prompted questions about how information from law-enforcement encounters may be feeding into trusted traveler determinations.

It is important to emphasize that public reporting does not establish a formal policy linking political activity to Global Entry eligibility. At the same time, these cases suggest that travelers should be aware of how broadly “risk” may be interpreted in practice.

Why This Matters for Trusted Traveler Members

Trusted traveler programs are administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under the Department of Homeland Security. Participation in these programs is discretionary, and revocations often occur with little explanation.

As a result:

  • Travelers may not be told why their benefits were revoked

  • Decisions may rely on information shared across agencies

  • Lawful encounters or arrests without conviction may still appear in internal records

  • Appeals are limited unless the underlying basis is uncovered

When revocations follow political activity or non-criminal encounters, it becomes especially important to understand what information the government relied on, even if no wrongdoing occurred.

Political Activity Alone Is Not a Disqualifier—but Context Matters

There is no rule stating that participation in protests, observation of law enforcement activity, or political advocacy automatically disqualifies someone from Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Lawful political expression is protected, and trusted traveler programs are not designed to evaluate ideology or viewpoints.

However, in practice, eligibility determinations may be influenced by:

  • Arrest records that did not result in conviction

  • Law enforcement “encounters” or reports

  • Intelligence or database entries that are not transparent to the traveler

  • Risk assessments that are broader than most applicants expect

Understanding whether and how such information is being used is often impossible without taking affirmative steps.

What To Do If Your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Was Revoked

If your trusted traveler benefits were revoked and:

  • You were not given a clear explanation

  • The revocation followed a protest, advocacy activity, or law-enforcement encounter

  • There is no history of travel-related violations

you may have options.

Two important tools are:

1. Global Entry Appeal or Reconsideration

Filing an appeal allows you to request review of the decision, but appeals are often denied without explanation unless accompanied by additional information or advocacy.

2. FOIA Requests

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests can be used to seek:

  • Records relied upon by CBP or DHS

  • Inter-agency communications

  • Law enforcement reports or database entries affecting eligibility

FOIA is often the only way to understand what actually triggered the revocation, particularly when no criminal charges or convictions exist.

What We Know vs. What We Don’t Know

What we know

  • Global Entry and TSA PreCheck eligibility decisions are discretionary and administered by CBP within DHS.

  • Revocations are often issued with little or no explanation, making it difficult for travelers to understand the basis for the decision.

  • Information from law enforcement encounters, arrests without conviction, and inter-agency data sharing can appear in government records reviewed during trusted traveler assessments.

  • Recent reporting has described instances where revocations occurred after non-travel-related encounters, prompting questions about how broadly “risk” is being evaluated.

  • FOIA requests and appeals are currently the primary tools available to uncover what information was relied upon in a specific case.

What we don’t know

  • Whether there is any formal policy linking lawful political activity to Global Entry or TSA PreCheck eligibility.

  • How frequently non-criminal encounters or political activity factor into trusted traveler risk assessments.

  • What internal thresholds or criteria trigger revocation when no travel violation exists.

  • How consistently information from other agencies is weighed in Global Entry determinations.

  • Whether similarly situated individuals are being treated uniformly across regions or cases.

Because of these unknowns, travelers who experience an unexpected revocation should focus less on assumptions and more on obtaining records and clarification about the government’s decision-making process.

How National Security Law Firm Helps

At National Security Law Firm, we assist clients with:

  • Global Entry and TSA PreCheck appeals

  • FOIA requests to uncover the basis for revocations

  • Coordination with related federal background, employment, or credentialing issues

Our focus is not on speculation, but on obtaining records, clarifying the government’s reasoning, and identifying whether a revocation can be challenged or corrected.

Stay Informed and Act Early

If you rely on Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and are concerned about a revocation—especially where it appears unrelated to travel conduct—early action matters. Understanding what information is driving the decision is often the first and most important step.

National Security Law Firm: It’s Our Turn to Fight for You.