U.S. Customs' Global Entry program opens first Long Island enrollment center, in Eisenhower Park
A view inside the new enrollment center in Eisenhower Park on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
International travelers can now be screened on Long Island for the Global Entry program that expedites the process of going through U.S. customs.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency officially opened the Island's first Global Entry enrollment center Wednesday in Eisenhower Park, aimed at reducing a six-month backlog of applicants in the metropolitan area.
The program allows frequent international "low-risk travelers" a prescreened clearance to proceed through customs after arriving in the United States.
The Eisenhower Park center will open to the public Thursday, but all appointments are currently booked, officials said. Travelers can select the Long Island location when scheduling future appointments.
The program is open to U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents and approved residents in 18 other countries, including Mexico and some European nations.
Frank Russo, the director of field operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New York, said Global Entry allows agents to focus on national security risks while lightening the load that comes with screening passengers. Kennedy Airport sees more than 60,000 passengers daily, totaling 17 million annually, Russo said.
"It allows for an efficient and secure process through the airports, streamlining the process so that you can move quickly and efficiently through Kennedy Airport this summer," Russo said. "It's a program that, quite frankly, will allow us to allocate more resources, prioritize our mission and effectively execute the rules and laws of our country. So quite simply put, we want everyone to enroll in Global Entry."
The Eisenhower Park facility was opened to assist travelers on Long Island who previously had to go to Kennedy Airport or the Global Entry enrollment center in lower Manhattan.
Customs officials hope the center will screen up to 200 people per day through prescheduled appointments.
Travelers can enroll on the Global Entry website through the Trusted Traveler Program to schedule an interview and appointment. During the appointment, passengers will verify their identity and submit fingerprints.
The application fee is $120 and includes access to the TSA PreCheck program. Children who go through the program with their parents are free.
Customs officials say about 1.9 million people use the Global Entry program in the New York area and 150,000 passengers use it at Kennedy Airport.
A backlog of up to 20,000 passengers in New York have been waiting for a screening interview for about six months, Russo said. He said he hoped the new enrollment center would reduce the wait time to a month.
The Eisenhower Park center will start by performing about 80 interviews per day, three days per week, Russo said. Kennedy Airport screens between 200 to 300 applicants for Global Entry daily.
Officials chose Eisenhower Park, working with County Executive Bruce Blakeman, after reviewing a heat map of Long Island applicants to Global Entry who still haven't had an appointment, Russo said.
"This is a collaboration between Nassau County and the federal government to make people safer and to make their life easier," Blakeman said.
After applicants receive a conditional approval, they will receive an email to schedule an interview, said Sal Ingrassia, port director at Kennedy Airport.
"We ask that people do not show up here without an interview. I know this is going to be a very popular location," Ingrassia said.
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
