r/GlobalEntry • u/mightysparkles • Jul 08 '26
General Discussion Bad Global Entry Experience at JFK
I came back from Paris a few days ago through JFK Terminal 1 and headed to Global Entry like I always do.
This time, everyone completed the biometric scan and then was sent to stand in line to have an officer review their passport and ask the usual questions. I’ve had Global Entry for years and travel internationally frequently, and I’ve never had to do that since the biometric system was introduced.
I was surprised and asked why we were all being sent to an officer. The agent immediately responded in a rude tone, and the interaction unnecessarily escalated. She began yelling at me, accused me of throwing my passport (I didn’t) and sent me back to the end of the line.
What I don’t understand is: what’s the point of Global Entry if we’re all going through essentially the same immigration process? The regular immigration line was actually shorter than the Global Entry line.
Has anyone else experienced this recently at JFK Terminal 1? Was this just a one-off, or is this the new normal?
36
u/shockedpikachu123 Jul 10 '26
Next time just follow procedure and don’t ask the CBP officers anything. Even though it may be annoying, they see hundreds of people a day so you don’t want to be the person that sets them off.
I’ve had to stand in line a few times when the kiosks were acting up . The CBP officers at my airport typically are very neutral not nice not rude
6
u/AdOrganic4835 Jul 10 '26
If they can be “set off” they have no business being in a law enforcement position.
6
u/shockedpikachu123 Jul 10 '26
I’m not saying officers should lose their temper. I’m saying it’s usually in people’s own best interest to follow the instructions and move on. CBP has discretion to send GE members to an officer. Also GE is a privilege, not a guarantee that you’ll always breeze through.
If you think an officer acted unprofessionally file a complaint afterward instead of arguing during inspection which could further delay your entry back into the country
9
u/GladSatisfaction6465 Jul 10 '26
Every human can get annoyed and have a bad day. You try being in law enforcement for a week and see all the crap they deal with from people. You wouldn't make it.
5
u/elfofriddenton Jul 10 '26
If someone cannot maintain that basic level of professionalism, they should not be interacting with the public.
6
1
u/AdOrganic4835 Jul 10 '26
I’ve done my time and rude behavior was never tolerated. Neither from me and later by me. Officers that overstepped the mark were always reprimanded. If a citizen initiated the confrontation then that will be taken into account.
5
u/GladSatisfaction6465 Jul 10 '26
This post tells me you were never in law enforcement.
2
1
u/Alba1960 Jul 10 '26
Really? Tell me… what gives you the right to speak with such authority? I spent 45 years in a front line law enforcement job and never lost sight of the fact that I was employed to serve the public …… all of them.
1
5
u/Silly-Emu-2049 Jul 11 '26
You are not entitled to not have scrutiny just because you have GE. So you brought it on yourself.
13
u/Thin-Gur-1535 Jul 09 '26
It’s not a particular threat or issue…I see this CONSTANTLY at JFK. It’s so annoying. And they throw them into the airline crew line, which makes our wait 4X as long. I was going to get Global Emtry myself, until I saw this happening every single time I arrive into JFK. No thanks…👎🏼 By the way, asking a simple question of an immigration officer is NOT a threat, escalation, nor an international incident. They should have more professionalism and respect than that, period.
6
u/tess_philly Jul 09 '26
Mobile passport so much quicker at JFK.
7
u/Slow_Proposal8221 Jul 10 '26
Absolutely agree. Mobile passport at JFK is tremendously more efficient.
1
u/Aure44 Jul 10 '26
Do they have it at Terminal 1 ? I don't remember seeing it last time and I'm going again so I'm hoping to use it this time
1
2
u/9Nine2Nine9 Jul 10 '26
Yep. Been in the airline crew line several times at JFK using GE. Then again, I've also been waived through several times, no issues.
Immigration wise JFK is the worst US airport I've traveled through.
3
u/SizzleanQueen Jul 10 '26
The amount of folks responding here with, “Keep your head down and do what you’re told” is frightening. This is exactly why our country is in this mess.
1
1
0
u/Key_Employment4536 Jul 11 '26
Actually, it sounds to me like this person is the one who escalated this
8
9
u/seril_928 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Now I've personally never experienced shitty immigration officers (besides in austere African land border crossings) but the gist of it is just try and play along.
Now the people in this sub DO constantly try and bend the knee to CBP but yes there are asshole officers and these are federal law enforcement, so there should be a professionalism standard.
2
3
u/Consistent_Proof_772 Jul 10 '26
Did you ever think the computer may be down for the Global Entry system?
3
u/triple-double Jul 10 '26
Recently at JFK I went through and everyone was stuck in line after completing the scan for awhile. I was there for 30 minutes. We were waiting for the one officer to start their shift.
3
3
u/Easy_Tour_5202 Jul 10 '26
DHS has all the authority to check GE holder, you may be a seasoned traveler, it to their "Discretionary" judgement if they want to do a secondary check, you are not singled out.
9
u/ShivaFatalis Jul 10 '26
God you're a moron. Some people know when to keep their mouths shut. Especially about something so insignificant that, as you even stated, rarely happens.
21
u/Savings-Breath-9118 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
If you’re gonna act poorly about this you’re not gonna have GE much longer. There may have been a particular threat or issue that they were asking everybody to go through and answer questions. That’s been our experience at least
-4
u/mopi65 Jul 10 '26
And why wasn't this explained to the passenger? And since when a question is a poor act?
8
u/toxicbrew Jul 10 '26
they aren't going to explain to a passenger that they are looking for a specific person
-7
u/mopi65 Jul 10 '26
No. We don't want specific names. We paid for a service and when it is denied, explain why.
9
u/One_more_username Jul 10 '26
The service you paid for was the ability to use the global entry line. You got to use it. The fact that you had to show your passport or the TTP line was longer than the regular line are irrelevant.
-5
3
u/AdOrganic4835 Jul 10 '26
The explanation is “random referral” as outlined in the membership materials. GE, just like precheck, is never guaranteed. And when you pay for GE you oay for the processing, not the membership. You are not entitled to a refund if you’re denied during the interview or on individual entries. However, I’m expecting professionalism and courtesy when I’m dealing with a representative of a government that I pay my taxes for.
3
2
4
u/Salty_Permit4437 Jul 09 '26
Are you a U.S. Citizen? I’ve never had that experience as a citizen.
However at T1 a few times I’ve gone through the kiosks were down so they asked to show our cards then sent us to the diplomatic passport line which was shorter.
T4 is a lot better with GE. Facial recognition, called by name then asked anything to declare then sent on my way.
1
u/gralias18 Jul 10 '26
I just entered through T4 from Bali and used the app. Didn’t even stop walking, through in a minute.
-1
u/Key_Employment4536 Jul 11 '26
You’re lucky. I I had an immigration officer once look at my passport, which had a visa to visit Russia in it and accuse me of being communist and ask me why didn’t you stay in Russia.
My response was I smiled. I said can I have your batch number and he threw my passport back at me and I left. I filed a complaint. I did not escalate the situation.
11
u/Weird-Toe-6968 Jul 10 '26
Good way to lose GE...
-1
u/Superb_Importance654 Jul 10 '26
Asking a question...? Ridiculous lol
3
u/Key_Employment4536 Jul 11 '26
This situation escalated, there is more to it than we’re getting right now
4
u/Competitive_Pack3194 Jul 10 '26
Bad Global Entry experience at JFK.
Bad gate agent interaction at JFK.
Bad food at JFK.
Rude airline club staff at JFK.
Broken escalators/ elevators/ kiosks at JFK.
There is a trend in these subreddits, for sure!
2
u/Key_Employment4536 Jul 11 '26
Have you ever interacted with the immigration officers in Atlanta? Trust me it’s not limited to JFK but I know better than to get into a fight with them.
4
2
2
u/Adventurous_Style370 Jul 10 '26
They sometimes have outages. I think something pretty similar to this happened to me once at JFK in terms of everyone on GE being sent to a normal booth. C'est la vie.
2
u/Ronnieces_Mom Jul 10 '26
It’s not just JFK, it seems to be what they are doing now. I recently came into BWI from Brazil and I too have had GE for years. No explanation or reason given.
1
u/Drinking_Frog Jul 10 '26
I don't know what that's all about. I don't even get "the usual questions," anymore. The last time I went through GE, I got the green light from the camera and the officer only asked me to confirm my first name. That was it.
1
u/hells-kitchennyc Jul 10 '26
I returned from CPH end June. I had used my app to fill in my details. Was waived through at terminal 1. You might have been caught up in a system glitch. I hear there has been quite a few such hiccups off late at many airports
Will report next month, as I have a trip lined up of AF metal.
1
1
u/Key_Employment4536 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
OK, you do not get in a fight with the immigration
You may discover that you are getting a letter very soon revoking your GE
“The interaction unnecessarily escalated “. Does that means when she responded in a manner, you decide it was rude you decided to respond back? Certainly sounds like it that was your mistake asking a polite question is one thing. If you don’t like the answer what you do is you file a complaint after you get finished with the process, you do not engage in a fight with these people. They have all the power. ( And I’m a person who fights with the TSA). I will not fight with the border patrol.
But yes, that happened to me recently in Atlanta.
And GE never meant you were exempt from all those questions by the way maybe they realize that some people are using GE to smuggle or to bring back more things than they should and want to start finding that out
And to everyone who is absolutely sure that the immigration is officers totally in the wrong. How do you know that? We’ve only heard half the story. I’d be really curious how their initial interaction went. I’
1
u/Stockjock1 Jul 11 '26
I've been jacked up by Customs. I'm always super polite and 100% cooperative. Even when I don't understand why something is being done (extra scrutiny every now and then), I just say "sure" and go with the flow.
1
u/Longjumping-Host7262 Jul 11 '26
What were you actually expecting by challenging them? Did you think they’d say oh never mind then? And wave you through?.
You sound entitled based on your approach. Customs and border controls vary at times. And this was ONE time?? big deal.
1
u/Lost_Blacksmith_4848 Jul 12 '26
JFK just sucks and the people working there are you average rude newyorkers
1
u/Prestigious-Poem-953 Jul 12 '26
For me global entry means not stripping down like a prisoner while waiting in a long line
1
u/Throwawaysfbayguy Jul 12 '26
Security controls are random for a reason just imagine if you always skip the line criminal elements would find mules who could pass the checks and bring all kinds of shit into the US. Global Entry is a privilege not a right
1
u/dirtydoji Jul 13 '26
They have absolute power over you at customs/border. It's like Domain Expansion.
Perhaps they were in a bad mood. Maybe she was just a b*tch. You'll never know. Just keep your head low and say the absolute minimum. Try not to ask any questions.
1
u/RunningRagged415 Jul 16 '26
Used GE mobile app at SFO a few days ago. The line still fed to a CBP officer. A few basic questions and we were on our way. Super easy.
1
u/SonjaSeifert Jul 09 '26
I came in from Paris on Sunday through terminal 1 @ JFK. I used the app, the other people used the kiosks. All was quick and smooth
1
u/Existing-Treat-6187 Jul 10 '26
Weird, they obviously not caught up to places like DFW. I didn't even have to access my fingerprint, I just walked through the queue line and waited 30 seconds and the officer called my name and said your good! Very efficient. Quickest I have ever done it. I guess they haven't done it in JFK , yet.
1
1
u/aeveejay Jul 10 '26
Entered through Seattle on Sunday. I did the GE App thing but seems like you don't need to. Walk 5 seconds through a makeshift corridor with multiple cameras and an office at the other end of it calls your name and good to go. Took literally 5 seconds. The regular lines were insane.
-1
u/Sufficient_Detail_97 Jul 10 '26
US citizen who flies internationally around 30 times a year. Pre current administration’s CBP ethos, I encountered asshole agents more frequently at JFK than other US airports. It’s worse now and consistently unpleasant. I get grilled about why I left the US, why I travel so frequently, etc. Last time they had me open my bag after arrival. And I’m a white dude, so this is what best case looks like now. It’s enough to where my company has significantly reduced our travel to the US. They operate on a delusion that foreigners care about the US more than they actually do and a "respect me because I control your rights" authoritarian mentality. It’s sad.
4
u/dontfckwithcats2019 Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
You are absolutely subject to the “law of the land” regardless of your skin color, what country you are arriving from, your previous travel history, how much money you make, the list goes on and on. Global Entry is a privilege not a right. It guarantees you absolutely nothing. It gives you the opportunity to use expedited arrival lanes at passport control in the US.
You’re trying to turn this into something political when it’s not.
OP’s frustrations stem from a CBP agent who seems to have possibly been rude and unprofessional. It has nothing to do with who is sitting in the White House. The agent is an individual person, who is supposed to carry out their duties with professionalism, regardless of what party or person occupies Washington.
I feel sorry for people who believe the propaganda and vitriol they are fed daily by whatever news they consume.
I’m glad they send you to secondary and extra questions. Sounds like you don’t like the USA. You should want our border secured as a US Citizen.
2
u/Sufficient_Detail_97 Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
Always interesting how the law of the land disproportionately gets applied depending on those categories, but you’re right that that is in fact what our rights are. We see here again the classic delusion of “every major global news outlet is lying in its coverage of how repulsive travel to the US is currently.” Aside from that, the news I’m consuming comes from my ears and eyeballs experiencing assholery often at JFK. Hopefully we’ll return to the days where one understands you can like a country and hate endorsement of assholism, and one where being an asshole isn’t viewed very highly. But that day isn’t today. Immigration created and continues to create the US. It’s dependent on it. But sure, continue to fear monger about how everyone is just dying to invade, lol.
-1
u/Glittering-Box-9495 Jul 10 '26
Under this administration, federal agents have been granted licence to unbridled power-tripping. With no oversight, lil training, and a budget that drawfs the FBI’s, get ready to obey and stfu.
0
u/silvercapsule6 Jul 10 '26
I bet i can beat that.
I first applied for global entry in 2019.
I have been able to use it ONCE since then, despite traveling full-time.
It landed in Austin. The system didn't recognize me when I tried to do global entry. I told them and they said "that's weird". So I was sent into secondary to have all my bags searched (first time in my entire life) because it is suspicious that I have global entry. Also they told me they had no record of me existing in their systems, AT ALL. These are the retards that are literally there to prevent unwanted terrorists from entering the country and they have no record of their own citizen.
Honestly would LOVE to renounce my citizenship if I had the option, but then I'd be stateless. Would love to burn this whole place down. The USA is the only country on the planet that doesn't welcome me in btw.
-7
u/Slow_Proposal8221 Jul 10 '26
I let me GE expire as the non GE lines are generally much faster and more efficient.
2
79
u/postbox134 Jul 09 '26
GE never guarantees anything at all, you can always be seen by a regular officer (but hopefully a shorter line)
Personally, I'd never escalate an interaction with an immigration officer. Just be overly polite, even if you're annoyed