World Entry program restored as DHS shutdown continues

The World Entry journey program has been restored, the Trump administration stated Wednesday, after it was paused in February amid the Division of Homeland Safety shutdown.

A DHS spokesperson stated that World Entry was reactivated as of 5 a.m. EDT Wednesday.

Geoff Freeman, the president and CEO of the U.S. Journey Affiliation, stated the group welcomed the choice to renew this system. 

“During the last two weeks, the journey business has been clear concerning the function applications like World Entry and TSA PreCheck play in each safety and effectivity,” Freeman stated. “Via outreach to members of Congress and administration officers, collaboration throughout the journey sector, and powerful public engagement, we highlighted a easy actuality: Trusted Traveler Packages improve safety whereas protecting journey shifting.”

DHS introduced in February that World Entry and the Transportation Safety Administration’s PreCheck program would each be suspended amid the partial shutdown. DHS rapidly backtracked on the PreCheck resolution and resumed the service. U.S. Customs and Border Safety officers usually assigned to course of World Entry vacationers had been reassigned to course of different arriving vacationers, CBS Information beforehand reported. 

TSA PreCheck is a membership program that enables vacationers to bear a extra streamlined safety course of after submitting an software, present process a background verify and paying a price. Solely U.S. residents and lawful everlasting residents are eligible. As of 2024, this system had greater than 20 million enrollees. World Entry is an analogous program, designed for worldwide journey, and out there to residents of the U.S. and practically two dozen different international locations. Neither program was suspended throughout the historic 43-day shutdown in 2025.

The partial shutdown has been in impact since Feb. 14 after lawmakers did not attain a deal on DHS funding. Democrats have demanded adjustments to the company within the wake of the deadly shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration brokers in Minneapolis.

The shutdown is affecting the TSA, the Federal Emergency Administration Company, the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Company and different businesses inside DHS. About 13% of the entire federal civilian workforce is affected.

Unscheduled absences amongst airport safety officers have greater than doubled throughout the shutdown as staff go with out pay, CBS Information beforehand reported. Greater than 300 staff have additionally left the company because the begin of the partial shutdown. Some airports have seen hourslong safety strains. TSA officers will miss their first full paycheck on Friday, elevating issues that callouts might improve.