Trusted Traveler/Global Entry Appeals and the Value of DHS Redress

I have just had a recent successful global entry appeal.  This success primarily revolved about the filing of a DHS Redress.  This is basically what happened…

Approaching a global entry issue is a bit like astronomy.  No one really knows what is out there.  You make a logical guess or approach to a situation and hope that your theory works.  You are also sometimes surprised by the results.

In this case, my client had been stopped on a number of occasions at the airport. He is a businessman and travels quite a lot, for work and pleasure.  Prior to contacting me, CBP had revoked his global entry status.  He had neither a criminal record nor any customs violations.  My theory for how to solve this issue was that if we could correct the perceived misidentification, then we could successfully appeal his global entry revocation.  My approach was to first concentrate on the DHS Redress.  

DHS Redress lists the following as possible reasons to file a Redress:  

• watch list issues

• screening problems at ports of entry

• situations where travelers believe they have been unfairly or incorrectly delayed, denied boarding or identified for additional screening at our nation’s transportation hubs

I then filed the DHS Redress on behalf of my client.  My client and I carefully explained what we thought the issues were.  The goal was to have DHS remove what we believed was derogatory information from my client’s file.  This would then make his traveling experiences a bit more pleasant.  Hopefully, it would also help with his global entry.

When we received the DHS Redress final results, I was set to write to the Ombudsman to appeal the global entry revocation.  My client at that point was so happy with the DHS Redress results, he came up with his own approach. Without telling me, he went ahead and applied for a new global entry pass.  He got approved!  This is where this is like astronomy.  Things happen and you can make your best guess, but in the end, it is just an educated guess.  You may or may not be able to duplicate the results, and at times get surprised.  Writing to the Ombudsman takes about six months to receive a reply.  By applying for a new pass rather than appealing the revocation, my client saved himself six months of waiting and got his pass right away.  Good for him!

I am not going to conclude that filing a DHS Redress alone will restore a person’s Trusted Traveler benefits.  In one case, I can confirm that it happened.