Global Entry Revocations Rise; Many Travelers Face Unclear Reasons

(U.S.) U.S. travelers are reporting a sharp and sometimes sudden loss of Global Entry at airport kiosks and in their online accounts, as federal data show a steep rise in membership revocation with little explanation from authorities. The shift has alarmed many frequent flyers who depend on the program for fast immigration checks and automatic TSA PreCheck, and who now find themselves back in regular lines without knowing what triggered the change.

Scale of the problem

According to internal tallies shared with industry observers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revoked 17,281 Global Entry memberships in 2024, a 47% increase from the previous year. The trend has carried into 2025, with travel forums and trusted‑traveler groups filling up with posts from people who say they had clean records, long travel histories, and no warning before their status disappeared.

While the total number of members is large, the recent pace of revocation is high enough to raise concern among immigration lawyers and travel advocates who watch federal screening policies.

What CBP says and what travelers experience

CBP has long maintained that Global Entry is a “trusted traveler” benefit, not a right, and that it can be cancelled at any time if the government no longer considers a person low risk. Many of those losing access describe receiving only a brief online note in their Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) account saying they are no longer eligible, without any specific reason.

The agency does not routinely specify whether a revocation was triggered by:

• a new criminal record
• an immigration issue
• a customs matter
• a data match from some other government system

That lack of detail leaves people guessing about what went wrong.

Immediate airport impacts

When Global Entry is cancelled, TSA PreCheck almost always disappears as well, because the two are linked for many members. Travelers who paid for Global Entry largely because it includes TSA PreCheck now face:

• longer security lines on domestic trips
• slower re‑entry to the U.S. after international flights

Some only discover the change at the airport when a kiosk refuses to process them or their boarding pass no longer shows the familiar “TSA PRE” mark — a moment that can be both stressful and embarrassing at a crowded checkpoint.

Theories about causes

In the absence of clear answers from CBP, several theories are circulating online:

• Flagged packages from overseas retailers (for example, shoppers point to sites like Shein) might draw extra attention to accounts.
• Political messages or social media posts — some worry speech could affect eligibility, though there is no public evidence that speech is a direct screening factor.
• Shifts in travel patterns, such as new trips to higher‑risk destinations.
• Data matching errors in large government databases that may misidentify someone as a risk.

CBP has not issued a detailed public explanation for the rise in cancellations or addressed these theories individually. The agency’s public material, including its Global Entry program page, continues to stress that applicants must be “low risk” and that any change in background information can affect eligibility.

Immigration lawyers note that the program’s broad language affords the government wide latitude, especially as it uses more automated systems to check people against criminal, immigration, customs, and security records. More aggressive screening can sometimes sweep in people who have done nothing wrong but whose data resembles that of someone on a watch list or in an investigation.

Program growth and expanded vetting

Global Entry now has nearly 13 million members, according to figures shared with travel industry groups. That expansion has brought:

• more regular vetting and monitoring across membership
• screening at application, kiosk use, and when new data about a person appears in connected systems

If CBP is checking more sources and running more frequent checks, that alone could produce more revocation decisions — even if the underlying rules have not changed.

Limited recourse for affected members

One of the most frustrating aspects for people who lose Global Entry is that there is no formal appeal system written into the program rules. CBP does not give members a clear path to challenge the decision or to see the government’s evidence.

• Members can send messages through their TTP account or contact local enrollment centers, but responses often repeat that the person is no longer eligible, without detail.
• The main official guidance is in the Trusted Traveler Programs help section at the Department of Homeland Security, including the TTP FAQ, which confirms that approvals are at the government’s discretion and may be withdrawn.

Reapplication is the primary option

The only practical option for someone who has lost Global Entry is to reapply as if they are a new applicant. That process includes:

1. Paying the $120 non‑refundable fee
2. Waiting for background checks and possible “pending review” delays
3. Attending an in‑person interview if the application advances

There is no promise of approval upon reapplication, and the government does not guarantee expedited handling for people whose membership was revoked. Some travelers report regaining status after reapplying, while others say they were denied without a clear reason.

Broader implications and advice

Travel policy analysts say the rising number of cancellations highlights tension between security goals and customer experience in trusted‑traveler programs. Global Entry and TSA PreCheck were designed to move low‑risk people out of long lines so officers can focus on unknown travelers — a model passengers have widely praised.

But recent revocations are eroding trust among some of the very travelers the government considers most reliable, particularly when those travelers feel they have no way to correct or even understand an error.

Experts advise that travelers who rely on these programs should:

• Check their TTP accounts regularly for any changes in status, even if the physical card appears valid
• Watch boarding passes for the TSA PreCheck indicator; its disappearance may be an early sign of revocation
• Keep copies of past approvals, criminal record checks, and travel documents in case they choose to reapply or consult a lawyer

Important: Reapplying and keeping documents may help, but they do not guarantee that CBP will explain its reasoning or restore membership.

What’s next

As air travel to and from the United States continues to grow, pressure is likely to build on CBP and the Department of Homeland Security to clarify what is driving the spike in Global Entry revocations and how innocent travelers can avoid losing their status.

For now, the gap between the program’s promise of speedy, trusted treatment and the opaque reality of cancellation is widening — leaving many frequent flyers uncertain whether their next trip through the airport will still come with the perks they paid for.