New York (WBEN) - New York’s governor plans to propose to President Donald Trump that the state could share some driving records with federal immigration agencies if the administration reverses its move to block state residents from Global Entry and other programs that allow travelers to avoid long border security lines.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he plans to meet with Trump on Thursday. His spokesman said he would only propose giving federal officials access to the state driving records of applicants to traveler programs who go to a sit-down interview with federal officials and supply documents such as a passport.
"If it's really about access to the DMV database for the TTP program, I said to the acting secretary on the phone, 'I can do that,'" said Cuomo. "If it's just politics...then we'll find that out also."
Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli announced last week that New Yorkers would no longer be allowed to enroll or re-enroll in the traveler programs.
New York’s lawsuit claims the Trump administration’s decision was intended to punish the state for enacting a law that lets immigrants in the country illegally get drivers licenses and bars federal immigration agents from accessing state motor vehicle records.
But Cuccinelli said it was a necessary step because New York’s new law had endangered public safety by making it tougher for immigration and border agents to quickly confirm someone’s identification, check for fugitive warrants or see if a person has a criminal record.
More than a dozen states have passed laws allowing people who are not legal U.S. residents to get driver’s licenses.
Cuomo, a Democrat, has called the Trump administration’s move “extortion.” He’s said that federal officials can access criminal records from the FBI. State driving records can contain lower-level driving violations.
Republican State Senator Rob Ortt says giving records access to federal agencies is something that Cuomo must do.