WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse joined Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo in sending a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Troy Miller requesting information on Rhode Island’s Global Entry Enrollment Center. Since closing for renovations on July 6, 2020, the center has left Rhode Islanders unable to conveniently schedule their required in-person interviews for Global Entry. In their letter, the lawmakers expressed their disappointment that information has not been forthcoming on when residents can expect the center to reopen.
“As you know, Rhode Island has only one Global Entry Enrollment Center. However, this center has been closed for renovations since July 6, 2020, making it difficult for Rhode Islanders to enroll in Global Entry,” wrote the lawmakers. “We respectfully request you provide our offices a briefing by May 31, 2024, on when the Rhode Island Global Entry Enrollment Center will reopen and request you inform us of any additional support that may be needed to quickly reopen this center.”
Full text of the letter sent to Acting Commissioner Miller can be found HERE and below.
Dear Acting Commissioner Miller:
We write to request information on the status of the Global Entry Enrollment Center in Rhode Island. As you know, Rhode Island has only one Global Entry Enrollment Center. However, this center has been closed for renovations since July 6, 2020, making it difficult for Rhode Islanders to enroll in Global Entry.
Global Entry allows low-risk travelers to have expedited access through immigration at airports or at certain other border patrols, allowing them to bypass long lines when entering the United States. To enroll in Global Entry, the applicant must complete a rigorous background check and complete an in-person interview at a Global Entry Enrollment Center.
It is disappointing that our constituents have been unable to conveniently schedule an in-person interview for nearly four years as the Rhode Island Global Entry Enrollment Center has been closed for renovations. Since remote interviews are only allowed for renewals, new applicants in Rhode Island are forced to travel out of state to conduct their interviews to possibly access the benefits of Global Entry. This means Rhode Islanders have to drive almost two additional hours to conduct their interviews at the nearest open enrollment centers, making the interview process much more difficult and adding additional barriers to participating in the program. Although we understand that renovations take time, we have been unable to determine when the Rhode Island Global Entry Enrollment Center is expected to reopen.
We respectfully request you provide our offices a briefing by May 31, 2024, on when the Rhode Island Global Entry Enrollment Center will reopen and request you inform us of any additional support that may be needed to quickly reopen this center.
Sincerely,
