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Cuomo to meet with Trump Thursday about Trusted Traveler Program ban

Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivers his 2021 budget address Jan. 21.
MIKE GROLL/OFFICE OF GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO
Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivers his 2021 budget address Jan. 21.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo will meet with President Donald Trump Thursday to discuss their feud over the Green Light Law and the Trusted Traveler Program (TTP).  

WFBO's Tom Dinki reports.

The Trump Administration announced last week it will no longer allow New York state residents to use the expedited re-entry program because the state’s Green Light Law blocks federal immigration authorities from accessing the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles database. 

 

Cuomo told WAMC Wednesday he plans to offer Trump a compromise: New York will give immigration officials DMV records, but only the DMV records of those enrolling in TTP.

 

“You want to look at our database for TTP enrollees? Fine, because a TTP enrollee is going to sit down with the federal government anyway to do an interview so I’ll give you that access,” said Cuomo, noting undocumented immigrants would never try to enroll in TTP out of fear of catching the attention of immigration authorities.

 

However, Cuomo said he does not expect Trump to accept the compromise. 

 

Cuomo has maintained that Trump’s TTP ban is simply political retribution for the Green Light Law, which also allows undocumented immigrants to have driver’s licenses. He noted BuzzFeed’s report about a leaked Trump administration memo planning out punishments for states with laws like the Green Light Law.

 

He said he is offering the compromise to call the Trump administration’s “bluff.”

 

“If they don’t accept this, then what they’re admitting is they’re just playing politics,” he said.

 

Cuomo maintains that federal authorities do not need the state’s DMV database to verify TTP enrollees. His administration filed a lawsuit Monday to lift the TTP ban.

Copyright 2020 WBFO

Tom Dinki joined WBFO in August 2019 to cover issues affecting older adults.