Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) late last week prohibited New York residents from enrolling in DHS programs including Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST. Hundreds of thousands of New York residents and other Americans could potentially have their travel impacted as the federal government plans to restrict their ability to travel across international borders as they always have under the Trusted Travel Program (“TTP”), an issue with increased significance here at the Canadian border in Western New York. New York State has already filed suit to block the plan. The hastily-unveiled federal move was sought after and supported by NY Congressman Tom Reed, among others, despite the many negative impacts it would have across Erie County, the Niagara Frontier and New York State

Poloncarz Statement on Federal Ban on NY Participation in Trusted Travel Program:

“The federal government is once again demonstrating its desire to punish New York State and Congressman Reed is once again at the forefront of the effort, choosing political gain for himself over economic gain for the people of his district and our state. Business, tourism, and personal travel will all be negatively affected by this myopic TTP plan, putting the brakes on our surging economy and injuring communities across Erie County and statewide. It should be noted that Congressman Reed, in cooperation with now-convicted former Congressman Chris Collins, was instrumental in brazenly taking thousands of dollars directly from NYS taxpayers by eliminating SALT deductions that had helped families for generations, and he also led the cheerleading for the disastrous 2017 federal tax cut that stole from the poor to give to the rich. It is alarming that he now wants to further cripple our residents, businesses, and economy.

Our residents and businesses demand and deserve the same access to the Trusted Traveler Program that they have always had and I call on Congressman Reed to put the interests of his constituents and our community first by demanding this as well. Currying favor with an increasingly unsteady, hostile and out-of-touch White House at the expense of New Yorkers is wrong and harms the public. The Congressman needs to reverse his course, advocate for the people of New York, and tell DHS to stop the ban now.”

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