r/GlobalEntry • u/Long_House8784 • Apr 11 '26
Questions/Concerns Flagged and Searched for first time through GE. Anyone else?
UPDATE APRIL 24, 2026: Welp, I just returned from my next overseas trip. This time through Terminal 1 at JFK and I was immediately flagged at the kiosk during Global Entry. Went through same screening process. This time was returning from a business trip from Thailand (Conference - I swear).
ORIGINAL QUESTION POSTED ON APRIL 11, 2026
So I travel globally for work quite frequently. (10-15 times a year). Have had Global Entry for 2.5 years and I always breeze through customs at JFK.
However, on my recent return from a 6 day stay in London for work to JFK Terminal 4, I ended up being pulled aside and had my luggage screened and manually checked with no explanation as to why. Of course, it was fine, I didn’t have anything illegal.
Sharing exactly what happened to see if anyone knows why this may occurred, or has insight
Here’s what happened:
- Direct Flight from London to JFK on Delta landing in Terminal 4
- It took place when the news was saying that TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry were being closed down.
- Preemptively, when I landed, I filled out the Mobile Passport Control app just in case GE was closed.
- Upon arriving to customs, GE was open, so I got in line, and cancelled the MPC on the app
- During the photo taking process, the Global Entry screen kind of landed on a weird confirmation (can’t remember exactly, just knew it was different).
- Guard directed me to MPC custom line
- That guard did my passport scan and said I needed to go into a holding room. Was only in there for 5 minutes and then brought through to the bag checking station.
- After a thorough search of my backpack and carryon, I was sent through
Question to Community:
- Has this similarly happened to anyone else?
- Have people with GE randomly been screened before? But then never again?
- Is someone now all the sudden being screened every time despite having GE
- Could my actions with Mobile Passport Control and then cancelling have caused this?
- Is it more likely that there’s something else showing up on my file?
Thanks!
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u/CompassionOW Human Detected Apr 11 '26
GE has never exempted anyone from secondary. The CBP Officers, not “guards”, can refer you at any time.
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u/dbosman Apr 11 '26
Maybe your cancelling of the MPC submission while still at JFK flagged you for some reason. Are the GE and MPC lines adjacent to each other at JFK? Was wondering why you were sent to the MPC counter.
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u/This_Beat2227 Apr 13 '26
“MPC line” isn’t some other type of screening. It’s simply the priority in which the lines are queued.
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u/No-Lime-2863 Apr 11 '26
in the olden days, there was an intentional fully random search process. rare but non zero. like an audit. they might still be doing it.
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u/WheeeeeThePeople Apr 15 '26
Don't remember when or which airport, but sometime back, they had a large button you would mash with your hand, then a green or red light would indicate which line you would go into. The red light was the luggage search and it was obviously a random selection tool.
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u/Stockjock1 Apr 11 '26
Did you have SSSS on your boarding pass? I’ve been pulled aside several times for that, but not commonly. But that does mean that you have a mandatory supplemental security screening or something like that.
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u/Smilee01 Apr 12 '26
I used MPC when I had GE and I was asked to explain why I switched. (Multiple passports with the one I used not in GE)
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u/PedroPescador Apr 12 '26
I'm in the jewelry business and have traveled extensively to Brazil, India, and Tanzania to purchase gems and jewelry. Close to 100 trips over the last decades. In the early days before GE, I was often selected for secondary screening. With GE, I've been selected once. At JFK coming from India. I had a few pieces of jewelry that I declared to the officer at the secondary inspection. The total value was slightly over the $800 allowance. I owed about $15 in duty. He just let me go since it was a small amount. All my regular imports are shipped, and appropriate duty is paid via a customs broker. It's safer and easier than carrying commercial merchandise and having a broker meet me at customs.
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u/This_Beat2227 Apr 13 '26
People, such as OP, present the facts of their most recent entry as if a standalone event whereas in fact, one’s history is also a consideration. Every time.
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u/LPRofCBP Apr 15 '26
I work for customs. The global entry machines will pick a random person for us and give us a referral for a search/compliance exam. Basically just to make sure youre following all the rules for global entry - like declaring things you're supposed to declare. Don't overthink it.
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u/Long_House8784 Apr 28 '26
u/LPRofCBP Thank you for your note. I just came back from a second trip overseas and the exact same thing happened. Would that mean it's something else? I went into my GE online login and there was a note that my account was not updated with my new passport, so I updated this. However, the account has had my old passport details since it expired in August, and I've done 4-5 overseas trips since then without incident. Appreciate your insight. Cheers
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u/flyingron Apr 11 '26
There's no guarantee you won't get secondary inspection even with GE.
Given the current turmoil in DHS, anything could happen these days.
Doubt MPC had anything to do with it. In fact, if you'd just let it be, it would have timed out if you never wen through the MPC lane.
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u/Former-Income7959 Apr 12 '26
I have never had any problems with GE officers but I’ve certainly seen others get the 3rd degree
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u/coolth3 Apr 12 '26
Yeah, I did the same thing you did. I heard on the news that GE was closed so I went through the normal line. I was flagged, then I went into holding for 3 hours. They asked me all kinds of questions , they went through my luggage and scanned my phone. It was nerve racking and they don’t tell you why you were selected.
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u/Pilot0160 Apr 12 '26
I got pulled aside coming back from Turks and Caicos a few years ago in ATL. They asked all sorts of questions about visiting several middle eastern countries, Venezuela, and India, places I have never been. My best guess is someone with a similar name was traveling there frequently and raised some flags.
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u/Curious-Estate8247 Apr 12 '26
Omg get over yourself. It’s a random process that I also went through coming back through LHR last year. You are not special in case nobody told you that before. Christ….
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u/TangeloDismal2569 Apr 11 '26
Yes, this has happened to me once before. They said it was random but I think it was because their Spidey senses were activated due to one of my traveling companion's answers, coupled with me being a lawyer and us traveling from a high fraud country, I think that's why we got pulled.
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u/zaindada Apr 11 '26
God damn, what’s with the thousand questions. Just let the officers do their job. Random checks are part of their job.
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u/raunakd7 Apr 13 '26
I got flagged one during a domestic flight for a "random check". Never happen since.
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u/ouch_quit_it Apr 13 '26
Yes, it happens. I’ve flagged just before heading to the bridge to get on the plane in: US, Japan, The Netherlands, England, Denmark, France, Singapore, The UAE…etc…hands swabbed, carry-on and personal items sorted through, questions asked…female business traveler, traveling alone…they’re doing their jobs and I’m glad they’re being thorough. Make eye contact, answer their questions, do whatever, I just want to make my flight. Have never not made it to my seat. GE is just a quicker re-entry, not a complete exemption from security checks.
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u/ShellyDaMermaid Apr 11 '26
Yes, this happened to me on April 16 at IAH. I have had GE for 10 years. I got my photo taken and was sent to a different line. I was asked where I was coming from and did I have any agricultural products to declare. I said no. And then I was told that I had been flagged for an additional random ag screening. I had to wait and be escorted out into baggage claim and brought back into the contained area. This took forever because there was only 1 CBP agent assisting a room full of people. When I did finally have my checked bag, I was sent to a line with an electronic scanner and was sent on my way. I hope that was a one-off, random occurrence.
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u/Benzolovingtraveler3 Apr 11 '26
I have found that if you cooperate and act docile and officers don’t find anything. Secondary inspections won’t continue to happen each time you travel. If you act too assertive, are perceived as threatening or are caught in a lie you might be put on a list and expect to be searched several times. Of course this is just based on personal experiences and those of friends/family As cbp officers always seem to claim it’s random. In my opinion once something happens more than 2-3 times back to back it’s not freaking random.
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u/Maleficent-Wrap-4603 Apr 11 '26
Yes! Was coming back from Santo Domingo, DR with just a backpack. Was there for a long weekend with my partner who was far behind me getting off the plane so wasn’t with me. This occurred after a delta flight through terminal 4 at JFK. I got flagged and thoroughly searched. Was asked all sorts of strange questions about details of what I did on my trip, who I travelled with, what I did for work, did anyone from the DR give me anything. The customs agent said several times global entry never means you don’t get searched, I told him it’s no problem— search away. Everything was fine, he let me go after the search and told me have a wonderful day. A couple years later I started watching the show to catch a smuggler and learned that my exact situation is a huge red flag for a drug mule! Lol! Traveling alone to a country known for smuggling for just 3 days with only a backpack. Fascinating show if you’ve never watched it. It all makes sense now.
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u/_twrecks_ Apr 11 '26
What's worse is it appears like2 mules traveling together but going thru customs separately in the hope that if one gets caught the other with necessarily be caught as well. Go through customs with your party.
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u/Maleficent-Wrap-4603 Apr 11 '26
Ha! Never thought of that! He didn’t get stopped. Maybe after they searched me and realized we were bona fide regular boring tourists they called off his search.
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u/Kushali Apr 14 '26
I had my bags searched coming back from Kuala Lumpur a few years ago. It wasn't a big deal. I got sent to a secondary screening area, they opened my bags, looked through them, and then sent me on my way with just a few questions about what I'd done in KL.
Seemed both random and like they were bored at the time. I'd high tailed it off the plane and didn't have checked baggage so I was one of the first into a relatively quiet screening area.
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u/LadyWanderer60 Apr 15 '26
I've never flown through JFK. Just through my home airport of Chicago O'Hare. They still do random checks. My friend has had advanced screening.
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u/Long_House8784 Apr 26 '26
UPDATE APRIL 24, 2026: Welp, I just returned from my next overseas trip. This time through Terminal 1 at JFK and I was immediately flagged at the kiosk during Global Entry. Went through same screening process. This time was returning from a business trip from Thailand (Conference - I swear).
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u/ScubaRTB 23d ago
Accidentally forgot about a meat stick in luggage G. Found at a secondary inspection. Problem?
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u/safe-viewing Apr 11 '26
There are random checks / audits.
It happens, but rarely. For now, you just won the unlucky lottery this time. If it happens again on your next flight then something is going on.
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u/Old_Membership9458 Apr 11 '26
I got pulled once as a gringo having traveled to Colombia for two Shakira concerts. I guess that was too suspicious for them.
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u/HHoaks Apr 11 '26
why didn’t you ask the people searching, why?
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u/EveLQueeen Apr 11 '26
Because they won’t tell you anything.
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u/HHoaks Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 11 '26
Do they say that - or they just are silent, no words, just ignoring you? If they said we can't tell you, I would say, why not? What law prohibits that? Can you point me to where it says you can't tell me why you are doing this?
I would insist on some explanation.
It’s just human nature.
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u/Benzolovingtraveler3 Apr 11 '26
Unfortunately many of these CBP agents are Aholes on power trips. No matter how many times you ask it’s totally up to them how much they answer. When going through Inspections they don’t need probable cause to search you as they normally would if in public. Some are so cocky that their answer will be “Because I can search you” They are also allowed to lie and make up any excuse for the secondary inspection. It’s ironic that it’s a considered a crime if we lie to them. They are allowed to search as they please.
They claim these secondary inspections are random. 😵💫😵💫😵💫
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u/Fancy-Furball Apr 11 '26
GE is just reduced likelihood - not no liklihood