LAX Global Entry Enrollment Office Closed as CBP Officers Sent to US-Mexico Border
Global Entry applicants hoping to schedule an interview at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) enrollment center will have to wait till at least September 30. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the office is closed indefinitely after US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents at the office were reassigned to the United States-Mexico border.
A representative from CBP told The Los Angeles Times that the LAX office is closed due to a staff shortage as a result of the "humanitarian and security crisis on our southwest border."
In recent years, the US-Mexico border has become inundated with an influx of migrants and refugees hoping to enter the United States, often illegally. The influx of illegal migration has led to a humanitarian crisis at the United States' southern border with migrant detention centers filled beyond capacity.
With Democratic and Republican leaders gridlocked over how to address the immigration crisis at US-Mexico border, detained migrants and refugees continue to fill detention centers. These detention centers are often understaffed, NBC News reports. To assist in the on-going immigration crisis, officers at the LAX Global Entry enrollment center have been temporarily reassigned to the border.
According to The Los Angeles Times, the Global Entry enrollment center at Los Angeles International Airport closed its doors to applicants on June 23.
A Global Entry applicant from the L.A. area who had received conditional approval scheduled an interview on July 1st at the LAX enrollment center. The interview was scheduled for July 19. She told The Los Angeles Times that she did not receive any notifications regarding the closure of the enrollment center and arrived for her scheduled interview on July 19. When she arrived at the enrollment center, the doors were locked.
In a statement to The LA Times, a CBP spokesperson noted that applicants should receive a notification that their appointments at the LAX enrollment center are canceled.
The Points Guy's JT Genter spoke with a CBP agent at Los Angeles International Airport on July 21. The agent informed Genter that the LAX Global Entry enrollment center would remain closed through the end of the fiscal year, which ends on September 30.
This isn't the first time CBP has reassigned staff to the southern border. Reports of Global Entry interviews being canceled as a result of officer reassignments were first reported in June.
Global Entry is a program offered by United States Custom and Border Patrol, the law enforcement agency of The Department of Homeland Security. Global Entry is designed to allow trusted travelers to receive expedited processing upon entry into the United States. Applicants first undergo a rigorous background check. Applicants who receive conditional approval must then visit an enrollment center for an interview with a CBP officer.
US Customs and Border Patrol operates Global Entry enrollment centers in 40 US states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and at select airports in Canada and Qatar.
Conditionally approved Global Entry applicants who are impacted by the LAX enrollment center's closure may be able to reschedule an interview at a nearby enrollment center about a 6- to 8-minute drive from LAX. Other enrollment centers near Los Angeles International Airport include:
- Long Beach Airport (LGB) Enrollment Center – 22 miles from LAX
- San Diego Airport (SAN) Enrollment Center – 124 miles from LAX
- San Francisco Airport (SFO) Enrollment Center – 377 miles from LAX
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.